Tomorrow's Romance Dawn
by X-Chick303
Summary: The Straw Hats have left Drum, ready to take on Baroque Works in Alabasta. However, upon making a pit stop at a fog-covered 'mystery island', they come across something they never expected to find, even on the Grand Line: an older Zoro! Now they must locate the rest of the future Straw Hats, as well as keep an ancient treasure out of the hands of bounty hunters.
1. Prologue: Yesterday's Lonely Night

**I have got to stop starting up stories whenever I get bitten by a plot bunny. I probably won't update this one too often. I don't have much of a plot in mind yet, but I know where I want it go. So I guess we'll wait and see. **

**This takes place before Punk Hazard... and also before Alabasta.**

**How is this possible? Read and find out!**

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><p><strong>Time: Undetermined<br>Location: Kāla**

Nighttime on Kāla was always disconcerting. The moon never stayed the same phase for more than a night, and the constellations were constantly changing their position. But if you lived there as long as Siobhan had, you got used it. After awhile, she had come to love these disconcerting nights.

Tonight, however, was not one of those nights.

"Tell me if it's true, child." The large man in front of her seemed to sneer and smirk at the same time. "Is this actually the lost island of Kāla?"

Siobhan looked around her cage. "Was the cage really necessary?"

"Silence, you brat!" the man bellowed, waving his torch close to her face. "You are in no position to ask questions, and I have no reason to answer you!... Though considering you bit me five times before my team got you away from me, yes, the cage is necessary."

"Boss!" the mohawk lady snapped. "You did the exact opposite of what you said you were going to do again!"

"Erity, be quiet! Despite popular belief, I do have an idea as to what I'm doing!" the boss snapped right back. He turned back to Siobhan. "Listen girl, we're not going to hurt you. We just need you to cooperate with us until we meet our goal- after which we'll probably be forced kill you though. We can't have you spreading the word about what we do here."

Erity smacked him upside the head. "You did it again!"

The boss shot the mohawk lady a dirty look, _daring_ her to try smacking him again.

"That's all on you guys," a man with red eyes piped up. "I'm not killing a kid."

"That's fine," the boss said, rubbing his now-bumpy head. "I can handle her myself."

Siobhan blew her bangs out of her face. She could not _believe_ she let herself get captured by this moron. And her day had been going so well too. When two ships had gotten caught in the Fog, she had been excitedly anticipating new visitors. How did it go so wrong?

"Sorry about our boss," the man with red eyes said, kneeling down to her eye level. "He's actually not this stupid. He's just a little excited. He's been searching for this legendary island for a long time."

"It is true," a girl in somewhat goth lolita clothing added. "We had to put up with him talking about it when he hired us."

"Yari, there is no need to be rude," the boss scolded. He sighed at Siobhan, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Just answer me. Is this island's name 'Kāla?'"

Siobhan scowled. She didn't like these people, but she would not deny the name of this island.

"Yes," she muttered. "This is Kāla Island."

The boss grinned, now less tired-looking. "Excellent. Now, at last after all these years the treasure of Kāla will be mine. The World Government will bow their heads in gratitude, and I will no longer hear my name ridiculed amongst Marine ranks!"

Siobhan raised an eyebrow. World Government? Marines? Some of her past visitors mentioned these things, but they never really went into detail.

"_Someone_ has issues," a young man with a slightly feral appearance snickered.

"Runo!" Boss (as no one had said his name yet, Siobhan decided to call him that in her head) barked. "Erity, Yari, Vaughan! Gather up the men and start searching the island! We will find the treasure, no matter what the cost!"

"Why do _we_ have to _search_?" Erity whined. "Can't we just ask the kid?"

They all looked at Siobhan, who was whistling innocently in her cage.

"Want me to... convince her?" Runo said with a grin. "She looks weak, but she could easily join the ranks of my new toys."

Siobhan snarled. "Those people are not toys, you sicko! Let them go!"

Runo shrugged. "Maybe I will... if you tell us where we can find what we're searching for."

Siobhan looked away.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Runo turned to Boss. "Well, should I?"

"It wouldn't do any good," Vaughan answered before Boss could. "You were off collecting your 'toys' when Erity and I faced her. Your Devil Fruit abilities won't have any more of an effect on her than mine did. Her will is too strong."

Yari gave Siobhan a creepy smile. "Aren't you an interesting little girl? Tell me, would you like to be one of my new dolls?"

"What did I _just_ say?"

Ignoring red-eyed Vaughan, Siobhan stuck out her tongue and pulled down one eyelid at Yari. That was as good a response as any.

"Enough!" Boss hollered. "This girl is useless in many aspects, but we may need her in order to find our treasure if we can't do so ourselves."

"You do realize you're not going to get away this, right 'Boss?'" Siobhan said in a bland tone. "There's a reason no one's found the treasure yet, and it's not just because this island is so damn hard to locate."

"I think I have a pretty good chance," Boss said. "Don't underestimate me, brat."

"While I think you're a moron, I don't doubt your skills. I can sense you're at least _moderately_ strong," Siobhan clarified. "You're going to fail because others are coming."

Boss's eyes narrowed. "Others?"

"Yes, others. They will arrive at the island after the next daybreak." She closed her eyes. "I can sense them, like I was able sense you and the other people that arrived here today. Call it a gut feeling, but I doubt they'll let you do what you want."

"Do you know who it is?" Erity asked curiously.

"Oh, just more of the same," Siobhan replied vaguely. "The same, but also different."

The group looked confused, except for Vaughan. A slow smile spread across his lips.

"It's like that, is it?" Vaughan asked. "This is going to be fun."

Siobhan looked away, instead focusing her attention on Runo's 'toys,' who were standing off to the side, absolutely still.

_I don't know about fun, but things will be getting interesting around here_, she thought. _Kāla wouldn't reveal itself, much less for the more of the same, for no reason._ _It will all truly begin when the others arrive..._

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"What the-!" Chopper gasped.

"It couldn't be!" Sanji shouted.

Vivi's eyes widened. "How is this possible?!"

There were a few minor differences, but there was no mistaking it. They were looking into the unconscious face of Roronoa Zoro.


	2. Arrival at the Mystery Island

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. Only my OCs are mine.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 1: Arrival at the Mystery Island<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: The Year 1522 AOP (Age of Pirates)<br>Location: Somewhere in the Grand Line, between Drum Island and Alabasta**

"Well, it's safe to say the Kestia's virus is officially out of your system, Nami!" Chopper said, putting away his tools. "You are 100% disease free!"

"That's a relief," Nami said, getting off Chopper's 'examination table' (it was actually a table made of old crates. They would get a proper one later). "Thanks Chopper, you're a great doctor."

"S-shut up!" the little doctor stammered, wiggling happily. "I didn't do anything, it was Doctorine's medicine that cured you! I just helped you through the final stages of your recovery! Don't think complimenting me will make me happy, moron!"

_You look happy to me,_ Nami thought with a sweatdrop. Oh well. She supposed this would just be one quirk about the crew's new doctor that she would have to get used to.

Stretching her arms, Nami left the 'sick bay' (actually just a spare room on the ship they decided to give to Chopper) with the little doctor in tow. They had left Drum Island only two days earlier. They still had a few more days before they arrived in Alabasta, so Nami wanted to be sure she was completely healthy now. She couldn't help Vivi if she was still sick, now could she?

Nami opened the door leading out to the main deck. "Guess what, everyone! Your navigator is now one hundred percent healthy!"

"That's wonderful, Nami!" Vivi said, clapping her hands together. She was sitting at the deck table, and Sanji had been setting down her morning drink.

"Nami-swaaaan~!" Sanji sang, mellorine-ing his way over to her. "I'm so happy you've returned to complete health! I hope we never have to go through such a trial ever again!"

"Sanji, stop dancing around!" Chopper scolded him. "Your back is still healing! You need to take it easy!"

The scolding would have had a much stronger effect if Chopper hadn't been hiding the wrong way behind the mast while saying it.

"... Isn't that backwards?" Sanji commented.

Chopper's eyes widened a little, then he corrected himself so that just his eye was visible.

"Better, but I can still see you."

Nami and Vivi shared a glance. It looked like Chopper was still nervous around Sanji. Not surprising, considering the chef had wanted to turn him into venison stew.

"Nami's completely better?" Luffy piped up. He was currently riding around the deck on Carue's back, playing a version of tag with Usopp. "Yosh! Then let's set course for Alabasta!"

"Quaawww!" Carue added in agreement.

"We're _already_ on course for Alabasta, you dummy," Usopp reminded him. "And I don't see why you're so excited. Have you forgotten that a warlord is after us?"

"Yeah, I know!" Luffy said eagerly. "I can't wait to see how strong he is."

"_You_ may have a death wish, but I want live as long as physically possible. I'm only going to help Vivi stop the revolution, that's it. I'll leave all the crazy fighting to monsters like you and Zoro."

"Really? Thanks, Usopp!"

"Usopp, you don't have to worry about Crocodile," Nami huffed. "He doesn't know what you, Sanji, or Chopper look like."

"In fact, the crew doesn't have to worry about him period," Sanji added. "Thanks to my efforts on Little Garden, the Straw Hat Pirates are dead as far as Crocodile's concerned."

"Yeah, that'll last," a voice scoffed from the crow's nest.

"SHUT UP, MOSSHEAD!"

"I'm afraid Mr. Bushido's right, Sanji," Vivi said before the fight could take off. "Mr. 0 didn't get this powerful by being a fool. It's only a matter of time before he figures out we're still alive."

A bitter truth, but one the crew would have to accept. Underestimating a warlord was never a good idea if you planned to live a long life. After all, Zoro did just that and nearly got cut in half for his efforts.

Chopper looked at his new crewmates, confused. "What do you all mean? What's a crocodile have to do with anything? Who's Mr. 0?"

It was then the crew realized they had yet to inform Chopper that the ship he joined held four people with hits out on them. Luffy had had to constantly badger him to get him to fulfill his dream of being a pirate, and they didn't want to scare the little reindeer so early on his journey.

"Uh, Tony... well, you see..." Vivi began.

"Oi, Nami!" Zoro shouted down from the crow's nest, thankfully saving the princess from an awkward explanation.

"What is it, Zoro?" Nami called back.

"You said we're not supposed to be reaching Alabasta for several more days, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"Then what's that big island-shaped blotch in the distance off the port side?"

Nami's eyes widened, and she immediately ran for the port side of the Merry, grabbing the telescope Usopp held out as she ran past him. Once there, she peered through the eyeglass and sure enough, there was an island-shaped blotch in the distance. With the telescope, she could see that it was more than just a blotch, but an actual island, covered in fog.

"That... that island wasn't there before," Nami stammered. She turned to Vivi. "Vivi, are there supposed to any islands in this part of the Grand Line?"

Vivi shook her head. "No, at least not according to maps I've seen. It's supposed to be just open sea."

"Then where did that island come from?" Zoro asked, having jumped down from the crow's nest.

"How the heck should I know?! Islands don't just appear out of nowhere!" Nami checked her wrist log pose. "The log isn't even pointing at it!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. "A mystery island! Nami, let's go explore it!"

"No way, Luffy!" Usopp argued. "We don't know what's on that island! It's unnatural! For all we know it could be haunted!"

"A haunted island?" Chopper echoed, having forgotten about his previous questions. "I didn't know there were islands that were haunted! What are those like, Usopp?"

Usopp demeanor instantly morphed from a cowardly one to a cocky one. "They are islands where ghosts rule and the living dead walk free. I remember having conquered an entire chain of haunted islands, back when I was only five years old..."

"WOW, REALLY?" Chopper and Luffy gasped in awe.

"If you conquered a chain of haunted islands when you were five, then why are you so scared to go to one as a..." Nami began. She paused. "... Uh, how old are you?"

"ARE YOU SAYING WE'VE BEEN TRAVELING TOGETHER FOR THIS LONG AND YOU'VE NEVER BOTHERED TO LEARN MY AGE?!" the sniper hollered.

"Considering everything that's happened to us ever since we joined the crew, it never really came up," she admitted.

"I'm seventeen!" Usopp hollered.

"So am I!" Luffy added.

"I'm nineteen, if anyone's curious," Sanji spoke up.

"I'm eighteen," Nami sighed.

"I'm sixteen," Vivi said.

"I'm pretty sure I'm fifteen," Chopper said.

Carue quacked his response, but no one was really paying attention to him. Everyone was looking at Zoro.

"What?" the swordsman asked.

"Everyone else said how old they are," Luffy explained. "Now it's your turn."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "If it's that important to you, I'm nineteen years old. Just like the love cook."

"Seriously?!" Vivi said in shock. "I thought you were older than that!"

"How old did you think I was?"

"I thought you were twenty five, at least!"

"Twenty_ five_?!"

"Zoro _does_ have an older-looking face," Nami noted.

"Shut up, woman!" Zoro snapped.

"Wait, you're the same age as me?" Sanji asked. "When's your birthday?"

"Didn't know you cared, Cook."

"Just answer the question, Mosshead!"

"November 11th."

A smirk spread across the cook's face. "Mine is March 2nd."

The crew's jaws dropped. Zoro, the bulkier, taller, older-looking one of the two constant clashers, was actually the _younger_ one?

Zoro scowled. "Shut up."

Sanji's only continued to smirk. "Is that anyway to speak to your elders?"

"I said shut up, ero-cook!"

"Maybe I should have you start calling me Sanji-_sempai_."

"In your dreams, you curly freak!"

"What did you just call me?!"

The girl's sweatdropped as another Sanji/Zoro fight began.

"Anything will get those two in argument, huh?" Vivi said with a sigh.

"I can only hope they'll grow out of it soon," Nami grumbled. "This is getting old."

Nami was so busy muttering, that she didn't notice Zoro had suddenly stopped his arguing and had walked to the rail.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sanji demanded.

Zoro didn't answer. He looked over the side of the boat, then at Nami. "Hey, Nami, did you alter our course at all?"

"Of course not," Nami replied.

Zoro frowned. "Then why have we suddenly picked up speed, and why are we suddenly sailing directly toward that mystery island?"

At his words, everyone's heads snapped towards the front of the Merry. They were now heading directly toward the mystery island, and said island was now very, very close.

_Oh no!_ Nami thought. _I was distracted by that stupid age discussion, and we've completely gone off course_! "Sanji, Chopper, take the helm! We need to make a 90 degree turn, now!"

Sanji gleefully agreed and ran into the galley, followed closely by Heavy Point Chopper. Nami tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the lurch of a ship making a sudden turn. When nothing happened for several minutes, she lost her patience.

"Sanji, Chopper, what's taking so long?!" she hollered.

Chopper stuck his head out of the doorway. "We're pushing as hard as we can, but the rudder won't budge!"

"Push the rudder harder, then!"

"If we do that, it'll break!" came Sanji's voice from within the galley. "It's just like when were going up Reverse Mountain!"

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Nami wailed. "How did we get stuck in a _super_ _current_?!"

"I did warn you about the unpredictability of the Grand Line," Vivi reminded her.

Nami shot her a dirty look and Vivi decided now would be a good time to stay silent. She took a few steps back and sat down next to Carue.

"Looks like we're going to the mystery island after all," Luffy said happily, sitting down on his 'special seat.' "Shishishi, this going to be so much fun!"

"Only you would call getting trapped in a freakishly strong current and being forced toward a haunted island 'fun,' Luffy," Usopp said darkly.

"You said that the living dead were on haunted islands, right?" the rubber captain asked. "Does that mean zombies?"

"Luffy, what are you thinking...?" Usopp asked worriedly.

"Well, think about what it would be like to have a zombie on the crew. That would be so awesome!"

"WE'RE NOT INVITING A MEMBER OF THE LIVING DEAD TO JOIN THIS CREW!" Nami screeched.

"But what if he also just happens to be... a _musician_," Luffy offered. "We still need one, after all."

"Fine Luffy," Zoro said, wanting to put this dumb conversation to an end. "If we find one of the undead who just_ happens_ to be a musician, we'll take him into consideration."

"Yosh! Thanks, Zoro!"

Sanji and Chopper, who was back in Brain Point, stepped back out onto the deck.

"Sorry Nami, I was unable to get the rudder to move without running the risk of breaking it in half," Sanji apologized. "Looks like we're going to that island whether we want to or not."

"Dang it," Nami said through grit teeth. She turned to Vivi. "Sorry, Vivi. It appears we're making a slight detour."

Vivi waved it off while stroking a nervous Carue's feathers. "It's alright. It's not like you can control the currents. But look on the bright side; maybe we'll be able to find some food supplies there."

"Great thinking, my beautiful Vivi!" Sanji swooned.

"Unless it's overrun by ghosts and zombies," Chopper said fearfully, hiding- once again the wrong way- behind the mast.

Nami made a mental note to smack Usopp later. He needed to find a filter for his stories.

"One haunted island is no match for the Great Captain Usopp!" Usopp declared, though he was sweating profusely. "Bring it on!"

"I've never fought zombies before," Zoro commented. He grinned wickedly. "Sounds like it would be interesting."

It was settled. For better or worse, the Straw Hat Pirates would be visiting the mystery- and possibly haunted- island.

"We're about to enter the fog!" Luffy announced from the Merry's figurehead.

The Going Merry did just that, entering the thick fog surrounding the island. If an outsider had been watching, they would have seen the charming ship appear to be swallowed up by the fog, vanishing without so much as trace.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Undetermined<strong>  
><strong>Location: Kāla<strong>

Siobhan picked at the small pile of fruit someone had shoved through the bars of her cage that morning. Well, at least they weren't trying to starve her or anything.

"Now, if they would only let me out of this cage," she said to herself.

Erity, Yari, Runo, Boss, and their men were off looking for the treasure. They'd left Vaughan on 'babysitting' duty, and you didn't have to be a genius to see he wasn't entirely thrilled about it. Still, he was man enough to keep his emotions in check and was currently passing the time by cleaning his weapon.

"So, how long do you plan to stay here?" Siobhan asked conversationally.

"As long as necessary," Vaughan replied, not even bothering to look up at her. "If you're attempting small talk, you're not doing a very good job of it."

"Can you blame me? This cage is boring."

"Next time don't bite our boss five times."

Siobhan stuck out her lip in a pouty way. That jerk deserved to get bitten, and she had a feeling Vaughan agreed with her on the issue. He was just sticking to his role as the hired help by not forming any opinions.

All of sudden, Siobhan felt a chill run down her spine. She involuntarily gasped, causing Vaughan to look at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Siobhan shook off the chill and smiled. "Oh, nothing is wrong. Just a slight shiver down my spine. It's not anything you need to be concerned about."

Vaughan's expression said he sincerely doubted that, but he didn't question her further and returned to his work. Once his eyes were away from her, Siobhan stood up and gazed in the direction she knew the beach was in.

_The others have entered the Fog,_ she thought._ Now, let's see if we'll be having some of the 'fun' Blood Eyes was talking about_.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Undetermined<br>Location: The Fog**

The Straw Hats stood on deck, letting the strong current guide their ship. One would suspect they'd be worried about all the thick fog around them, seeing as it meant they wouldn't be able to see any obstacles ahead of them or when they would crash against the shore.

Surprisingly, they weren't worried. They were focused on the fog, mind you, but not in the way you would expect.

It wasn't normal fog. Normal fog was dark and gray. This fog was dark and gray as well, but within it, there were occasional bursts of color. Blues, greens, and pinks swirled with the mist, lighting up the deck with each flash. It was a sight to behold.

"So cool," Luffy said in a breathy tone. "Rainbow fog!"

"It's beautiful," Vivi agreed.

"I consider myself something of a weather expert, and I've never seen fog like this," Nami observed.

Some of the fog near Usopp lit up, and, curious, he ran his hand through it.

"_-ALWAYS BEEN NEGATIVE!_"

"ARGHH!" Usopp squealed, stumbling backward.

"Usopp!" Chopper shouted, running to his crewmate's side. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"G-g-g-ghost!" Usopp stammered out. "I touched some of the lit up fog and heard the voice of a ghost!"

"SERIOUSLY?!" Chopper and Luffy gasped.

"Is this another lie?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette. "If so, it's not funny."

"I'm serious!" Usopp insisted. "You try, if you don't believe me!"

There was no need, though. As they got deeper into the fog, the more frequent the bursts of color were. Soon, the colors enveloped the Going Merry entirely.

"Does any else hear... voices?" Zoro asked.

"We're all touching the colors now," Vivi pointed out. "If Usopp's correct..."

"This rainbow fog let's us hear ghosts?" Luffy asked. "That's amazing! I bet ghost's have some cool things to say! Let's listen!"

That suggestion was so unlike Luffy, the crew actually followed it. As the ship sailed further, the voices got louder but there were parts here and there they couldn't decipher. At first, the voices were condescending and grated on the crew's nerves.

"_...you're weak and you have no pride..._"

"_...except for your immunity to lightning, you're nothing more than a powerless..._"

"_...and let the desert sands bury you!_"

Sanji reacted to that last one. "I know that voice. That's the man I talked to on the transponder snail on Little Garden- Mr. 0."

"Crocodile's a ghost already?" Luffy said. He frowned. "That's just great. How can I fight him if he's a ghost?"

"I'm pretty sure Crocodile's not a ghost," Vivi assured him. "Guys, I don't think it's ghosts we're hearing."

The voices continued to become more loud and, well, vocal. But at least their tones were changing, even if they didn't make any sense.

"_...wouldn't let me die..._"

"._..I'm a romantic, just like...!_"

"_...what's the point of having power if..._"

"_...one hell of a roll this week..._"

"_...although I have no stomach..._"

"_...you promised that... even if someone was shot before your eyes..._"

Nami gasped. "Hatchan?"

"Who's Hatchan?" Sanji asked.

"He was that octopus swordsman in Arlong's crew. Zoro beat him, I think."

"I remember him," Zoro nodded. "I'm pretty sure I didn't kill him, so we wouldn't be hearing his voice if these really are ghosts. Vivi's right, these voices are something else."

The voices intensified, and started to become more familiar.

"_...existing is not a crime..._"

"_...good boy! Laboon...!_"

"_...WANT TO LIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU...!_"

Vivi frowned. That voice sounded awfully familiar... but at the same time, incredibly sad.

"_...WHAT MAKES YOU GOD...?!_"

Luffy startled slightly. That was his voice.

"_...be a more reliable man...!_"

Chopper shivered. What was his voice...?

"_... flighty! What about how others feel...?_"

"That sounded like me!" Nami shouted.

"_...born to love ladies, not be friends with...!_"

Sanji breathed hard on his cigarette. What was going on?

"_...THIS PLACE ISN'T HELL...!_"

Usopp couldn't help but think how odd his voice sounded. Was it possible to sound so brave and so afraid at the same time?

"_...can't even protect my captain, then my ambition is..._"

Zoro gripped one of his swords' hilts. What was his voice saying about not protecting his captain?

This was wrong. Why were they hearing their own voices in the fog, saying things that didn't make sense? It was creepy and they wanted it to stop.

"_...worried about his bumbling kid brother..._" another voice broke in. It was a new one. The voice was warm, and sounded lighthearted as opposed to the previous serious tones they had been hearing. It was a pleasant switch, and stood out amongst all the other voices speaking.

Luffy's eyes widened. He knew that voice... what was it doing in the mystery fog?

"_...the top, you and me...!_"

"Ace?" Luffy asked aloud. "Is that you?"

"Ace?" Zoro repeated. "Who's Ace?"

Luffy didn't answer. He kept listening.

"_...no right to interfere...!_"

"_...You never change..._"

"_...THIS ERA IS..._!"

"_...can't even let you save..."_

Luffy frowned. Ace's tone had changed. It sounded strong, and yet... weak. A word he had never associated with his brother. It was almost as if... it sounded like Ace was giving up.

"_...it good I was born? All I wanted..._"

The Straw Hats were all frowning now. Save for Luffy, they didn't know who was speaking, but what kind of person asked if it was good they had been born?

Luffy was getting anxious. Just what was Ace's voice saying?

"_...so worthless... even though I carry the blood of a demon..._"

Luffy leaned forward on his special seat.

"_...thank you..._" the voice choked, as if he were on his last legs. "_...for-_"

The fog suddenly cleared, and all the voices immediately faded away. The sun shone brightly and the sky was a magnificent shade of blue. Not that the crew could appreciate it, due to their captain's yelling.

The moment the voices vanished, Luffy had jumped to his feet, narrowly avoiding stumbling off the Merry's figurehead. "Thank you for _what_?! Come on Ace, what were going to say?! Who were you thanking?! Ace! Answer me, damn it! ACE!"

"Luffy!" Sanji called out.

"WHAT?!" Luffy shouted back. His face looked a little scary.

Sanji flinched, before pointing ahead. "We've arrived."

Luffy turned and saw that the current had stopped pushing the ship only a few feet in the water away from the island. Now that the fog was gone, he could see it clearly. It had a large beach with pink-colored sand, and big strange trees that looked like the jungle back on Dawn Island. The boy's face broke into a big grin.

"Whoa, pink sand? And look at the size of those trees!" Luffy exclaimed. He turned to his crew. "Hey Chopper, Usopp, let's see if we can climb one! I think I saw some coconuts on one of them, we could- what are you guys all staring at?"

The crew was staring in the opposite direction of the strange beach, towards the fog. Though they had literally just left it, the fog was at least a full kilometer away now.

"How'd it get so far away so quickly?!" Usopp said, incredulous. "We're were completely surrounded by it only a second ago!"

"With the mystery island, super current, colored fog, and disembodied voices that sound like us, nothing surprises me at this point," Nami groaned in defeat. "Let's just pack some supplies and leave before we all go completely insane."

"Yeah, let's find some meat!" Luffy agreed. "Meat on the mystery island!"

"Right away, Nami-swan!" Sanji added.

With that, they had Zoro lower the anchor and prepared to set foot on the mystery island. Luffy decided to slingshot himself across the stretch of water by stretching his arms ahead and getting a grip on one of the thick trees.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy began, stretching backward. "_Rocket!_"

He lifted his feet and went flying straight into the same tree he had been holding. Of course, being a rubberman, he barely even felt the impact. That left the others to either jump off the boat and onto the beach (Sanji and Zoro, with some glaring), wade through the water (Nami and Usopp, despite Sanji's offers to carry the former), or swim across while riding on Carue's back (Vivi and Chopper).

"I can't believe it," Chopper said excitedly. "My first new island as a pirate!"

Vivi smiled at him. "I'm glad to see you're excited, Tony. You've been pretty nervous these last couple days."

"I'm still getting used to leaving Drum, that's all," he replied as they arrived at the beach, and he and Vivi dismounted the large duck. "But I promise to do my best for the crew here!"

Vivi chuckled as they walked over to join the others. "I'm sure you will."

The beach was even more beautiful up close. The pink sand sparkled under the sunlight, before becoming thick green grass as it got into the jungle area. The trees were unnaturally large, and their leaves also seemed to glitter if the sunlight caught them just right.

Luffy ran around the beach, laughing loudly. "The sand here is pink! Shishishi, the mystery island has mystery sand!"

"That's great, Luffy," Usopp said. "Uh, Luffy? Can we ask you something really quick?"

Luffy stopped running. "Oh, sure. What do you need?"

"You were getting pretty upset back there with that last voice," Zoro pointed out.

"If you don't mind us asking, who's Ace?" Nami asked.

"Oh, is that all?" Luffy asked. He grinned. "Ace is my big brother!"

The quiet that followed was stifling. You could have heard a pin drop.

"BROTHER?!" the crew finally gasped after a few silent moments.

"Luffy has a _brother_?" Usopp shouted in shock.

"There's actually a living flesh and blood person _born before_ and _related_ to Luffy?" Nami added.

"Luffy's a monster already; just imagine what his_ big brother_ would be like!" Sanji realized.

"Sanji!" Vivi scolded.

"I wish _I_ had a brother," Chopper said softly.

"So that was your brother's voice we were hearing at the end?" Zoro asked, not nearly as shaken up as the others.

Luffy nodded. "Uh-huh, that was Ace. I haven't seen him since he left home to become a pirate, but I'd know his voice anywhere."

Zoro was slightly tempted to ask what his brother might have meant, talking about whether him being born was good or not. He decided against it. It wasn't any of his business and if Luffy felt like sharing, he would have already done so. "He's a pirate too?"

"Yeah. He left home three years before I did to look for the One Piece."

"If that was your brother's voice, then I can see why you were upset," Vivi said. "The things he was saying were very unnerving. You must be worried."

"Nah, Ace is strong," Luffy said, shaking his head. "I fought him all the time when we were kids and he always kicked my butt, even with my devil fruit powers. He can handle himself, and besides, that wasn't Ace. It was just something with his voice. That mystery fog was copying all of us, even Crocodile and that octopus guy."

While they were shocked that there was also now a flesh and blood person who could _defeat_ Luffy, they all considered what Luffy said about the fog. They hadn't imagined their own voices speaking within the fog, nor did they imagine Crocodile's. Had it all been one strange illusion though?

"Uh, I don't care anymore," Nami sighed at last. "Let's break off into groups to look for food. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and I will remain here at the main beach to pick some of these coconuts. Sanji, Vivi, Carue, and Chopper, you all go a little deeper into the woods and look, but don't go too far. We still don't know what's out there."

"Aw, but I want to explore the forest!" Luffy whined.

"You're staying here!"

"I'll go with him if he wants to explore," Zoro offered.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

Vivi rolled her eyes but she was smiling, as if thinking 'there they go again.' She hopped on Carue, Chopper morphed into Walk Point, and Sanji ran to the princess's side holding three large baskets. Then all three entered the jungle.

* * *

><p>Though they stuck to Nami's advice and didn't go too far in, it was obvious navigating the thick expanse of trees was not going to be an easy time. There were almost no paths and the trees' roots all seemed to get tangled up in each other.<p>

"I've never seen trees this big before," Vivi said. "They're even bigger than the ones on Little Garden."

"Wonder if this island has an incredibly ironic name too," Sanji said dryly.

That made Vivi giggle, and that in turn made Sanji elated.

"Little Garden?" Chopper asked, looking up at his two crew mates.

"Another story for another day, Tony," Vivi replied. "Let's focus on finding supplies. We need to leave this island as soon as possible."

Sanji gave Vivi a sympathetic look when she turned away. She wasn't happy about the detour, and that was understandable. Her country was on the brink of civil war and they had let their ship get caught in a freakishly forceful current. He knew Nami was already contemplating ways to make it up to her, and now so was he. Maybe she had a preferred meal she would want him to make...

"Hey, fruit trees!" Chopper announced.

Ahead of them were indeed multiple normal-sized fruit trees, each one bearing a different kind of fruit.

"Jackpot!" Sanji said. "Look at all this!"

Once Vivi dismounted Carue again and Chopper went into Brain Point, the three pirates jogged over to the trees with their baskets. There was an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree , a mango tree, and even a banana tree. Some fruits didn't even look like they were supposed to be growing in the same climate, but here they were.

"This is amazing," Vivi said, picking a peach. "And it's ripe too."

"They're all ripe," Chopper noticed. He was in Heavy Point into order to reach the fruit. "That's... a little strange."

"I know Grand Line islands usually have one dominant season, but is this normal?" Sanji asked.

Vivi shook her head. "Islands will have one dominant season, but they still technically have the others. Even so, this place feels like a spring or summer island. Most fruits don't get ripe until the fall."

"You're so knowledgeable, Vivi dear!" Sanji praised. "Though it seems to me somebody forgot to tell the fruit here that."

While the three pirates (or two pirates and one princess) were discussing the ripening cycles of Grand Line fruit, Carue was walking around, looking for fallen fruit. There were an odd number of leaves and branches on the ground, though the ones above were still green, so he prodded the jungle floor with his bill a few times to see if any fruits were hiding. It wasn't long before he had wandered away from the group entirely.

He wasn't too worried though. He could still hear the others' voices, so he would be able to find his way back. He might as well help his princess and look for other food sources or a stream for fresh water. He waddled along, looking up at the massive trees. Maybe one of these bigger ones had something to eat-

"Uhn."

Carue froze. Did the ground beneath his feet just _groan_? He slowly glanced down...

"_QUAAAAAAAAAW!_"

Vivi dropped her basket of fruit. "That sounded like Carue!"

Sanji glanced from side to side. "Dang it, where did that stupid duck go?"

"Carue isn't stupid!"

"I'm sorry Vivi, I didn't-"

"It came from over there!" Chopper said, pointing in the direction of Carue's squawks.

The trio abandoned their baskets and ran in the direction Chopper referred to. As they moved forward, Carue's quacking got louder and more frantic.

"What's he saying, Tony?" Vivi asked.

"He's too worked up, I can't make everything out!" Chopper replied. "But he's yelling about a person, and something about wounds!"

"You're kidding me," Sanji said. "There are people actually _living_ here on this island?"

As they approached Carue's location, Sanji took notice of something. There was blood on the ground, trailing in the same direction they were going. He didn't like the looks of this.

They finally reached the spotted duck, who was pacing anxiously in front of someone lying face down on the ground. Whoever it was, there was pool of blood in the process of drying coming from his shoulder and head. Whoever he was, he'd been there a while.

Vivi's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh no!"

"Blood!" Chopper shrieked. "A doctor, we need a doctor!"

"Tony, you're the doctor!"

"Oh, right!"

Vivi immediately went to calm Carue down, stroking his bill. Chopper pulled off his pack and went to examine the man lying on the ground. Sanji, on the other hand, stayed back and gave the injured man a once over, despite not being able to see his face.

The stranger was wearing a long dark green coat, a red sash around his waist, and black pants that were tucked into a pair of boots. He was also wearing a dark bandanna over his hair, three gold earrings on one of his ears, and had at some point shrugged off the top part of his coat to reveal he wasn't wearing a shirt. The only type of upper covering he wore was a green haramaki around his waist.

Sanji's eyebrow twitched. That haramaki looked awfully familiar.

"He has a deep stab wound in his shoulder, but it's not as bad as it looks," Chopper examined, though he sounded nervous. "But I can't get a good look at his forehead. Sanji, can you help me flip him over? Gently, that is."

Sanji nodded and moved to the other side of the fallen man. Now he could see why Chopper was nervous. The man had a sword with a black and red blade gripped in his left hand. Chopper carefully slipped the sword away, and the stranger didn't so much as twitch. Sanji knelt down, and on the count of three, the cook and the reindeer moved the stranger onto his back while the latter at the same time removed his bandanna.

The reaction was almost instantaneous.

"What the-!" Chopper gasped.

Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth. "There's _two_ of them?"

Vivi's eyes widened. "How is this possible?!"

There were a few minor differences that stood out, but there was no mistaking it. They were looking into the unconscious face of Roronoa Zoro.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"Uh, Mr. Bushido? You wouldn't happen to have an older brother who looks eerily like you and also carries three swords, do you?"

"That's an awfully specific question. No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"... You should probably see for yourself."

"HOLY CRAP!"


	3. Similarity Breeds Familiarity

**Wow, look at all the follows! I'M POPULAR!**

**Seriously though, thank you all for the follows, faves, and reviews. As a token of my thanks, here's a little guide as to whose ghostly voice was saying what in the fog scene, in order of what was being said.**

**Usopp, Bellamy, Eneru, Crocodile, Robin, Montblanc Cricket, Iceburg, Franky, Brook, Hatchan, Franky, Brook, Robin, Luffy, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, and any after that was Ace's voice.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 2: Similarity Breeds Familiarity, and Familiarity Brings About a Whole Slew of Headaches<strong>

* * *

><p>Zoro did not like this island. Just standing on the beach gave him an antsy feeling he couldn't shake off, and he wanted to leave it as soon as possible.<p>

After the Love Cook, Princess, Reindeer, and Carue went off into the woods, he actually listened to Nami when she barked at him, Luffy, and Usopp to start collecting coconuts. At this point, he'd take any excuse to get his mind off the odd vibes the island gave off.

Now that he thought about it, that uneasy feeling most likely started back in the rainbow fog. He'd heard _his_ _own voice_ say he couldn't protect his captain. Why would Luffy need protecting? Luffy was one of the strongest people he knew, and could do more than hold himself in a fight. The day Luffy would need protecting would be a dire one indeed. Even if Luffy needed to be protected, why would he fail? Hadn't he promised Luffy he'd never lose again?

Zoro shook his head and threw another coconut down to Usopp. He needed to stop worrying about it. The stupid fog was just mimicking his voice (and he wasn't going to waste time trying to figure out how it did that. It was just another weird Grand Line occurrence he had to accept), trying to get inside his head. He'd never fail in protecting anyone on this crew. And as for the antsy, uneasy feeling... well, he'd just have to remain ready for a fight at any time. That was usually where all these kinds feelings led to, anyway.

"Ow!" he heard Usopp squeak. "Zoro! Watch where you're dropping those coconuts!"

Zoro looked down to see a large lump forming on the sniper's head.

"Whoops. My bad."

"If you're going to apologize, then at least try to _sound_ sorry, jerk!"

Zoro jumped down from the tree, swords clinking against each other. "Whatever. Did we collect enough coconuts to please the witch yet?"

"I heard that!" Nami hollered from farther down the beach.

"We_ would_ have enough..." Usopp said, glancing at the measly pile of coconuts at his feet. He turned on his heel to glare at his captain. "...if _someone_ would stop eating them all!"

Luffy looked up from the rock he was balancing a coconut on, ready to crush it with another rock. "Huh? You talking to me, Usopp?"

"Luffy, stop eating our supplies!" Zoro shouted. "We need them for the trip to Alabasta!"

"But I'm_ hungry_!"

"You're _always _hungry!"

"Maybe if someone would find me some mystery island meat, I wouldn't be eating the coconuts!"

"Why you-"

"That's enough!" Nami ordered, rejoining the boys. "Honestly, I could hear you guys from the other side of the beach. Stop yelling like children and get back to work!"

"If you want it done so badly, why don't you help?" Usopp grumbled.

_Because that would require her doing actual work,_ Zoro thought bitterly.

Nami flipped her hair. "I'm surveying the land, of course. We need to remain vigilant on a 'mystery' island." She turned to look at the jungle. "Part of me wishes we weren't in such a hurry to leave, though. If I had time, I would love to to perform a thorough survey and make a map."

Luffy had grown bored with coconuts and was now kicking pink sand around. "If you want to make a map, we could stay a little longer. I still want to explore the jungle."

"We can't, Luffy," Nami sighed. "We're on a schedule. I don't want to delay our arrival in Alabasta any more than I have to, so if that means not making one map, I can live with it."

"Besides, Luffy, I don't want to be here when the zombies show up!" Usopp added fearfully.

"Why? If we're not here when they do show up, how am I going to find my musician?"

"We are_ not_ getting a zombie to join this crew!"

"Oh for the love of- Usopp, enough with the zombie talk already!" Nami snapped. "We don't know if this is a haunted island or not! So stop all your- _OW!_"

Nami's rant was thankfully brought to an abrupt end from something small and hard flying into her head.

"Ow..." Nami groaned, rubbing the sore spot. She turned to face Luffy. "Luffy! Why did you throw a rock at me?!"

Luffy shook his head furiously. "I didn't throw a rock! I was just kicking the sand around and my foot hit something! I didn't mean to make it fly into your head!"

Zoro knelt down, picking up the projectile that hit their navigator. "Also, this isn't a rock. Come have a look."

The other three gathered around their swordsman, examining what he held in his hand. It looked similar to Nami's wooden log pose, only the base was bigger and flatter, and instead of a large glass ball holding the needle, it was three smaller balls holding three separate needles.

"A... log pose?" Usopp questioned.

"I think so," Zoro replied. "Though why a log pose would need three needles is beyond me."

"Maybe it's to find more islands!" Luffy suggested. "Each needle points to a different one, and you can choose which way you want to go!"

Nami took the... Triple Pose, she supposed, and compared it with her own. She frowned, for all four needles were all spinning without any sign of locking on to something.

"It's almost as if there's nothing to lock onto..." she said, mostly to herself.

"Huh? Did you say something, Nami?" Luffy asked.

Before Nami could reply, she was interrupted.

"Oi, Nami, Luffy!"

Nami stuffed the triple pose into her pocket, and turned with the others to look towards the direction the shout had come. What they saw was Sanji, Vivi, Chopper, and Carue exiting the jungle.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called. "You're back! Find anything cool in there?"

"Uh, depends on what you think is cool," Sanji replied vaguely.

Zoro noticed the only one holding any fruit was Chopper. "What's the deal, Cook? You guys were gone for that long and only come back with one basket of food? I thought you'd want to impress Nami or something."

"What's wrong with wanting to impress me?!" Nami demanded.

The four leaving the jungle stopped walking and stared at Zoro, as if they couldn't believe they he was standing there. Then, almost simultaneously, they all glanced at Carue.

"Hey, who's that on Carue's back?" Usopp asked suddenly.

They couldn't see very well from the angle the others were at, but there was definitely someone slumped over in Carue's saddle.

"Wait, did you guys actually find someone on this island?" Nami asked. "That's great! Maybe now we can finally learn where the heck we are!"

Sanji and the others said nothing. They just kept those anxious and disturbed expressions on their faces.

"Hey, what's with those faces?" Luffy asked. "You guys look like you saw something really weird. Oh, what is it the zombies? Please tell me you found the zombies!"

"No, we didn't find any zombies," Chopper replied. "What we found is much weirder."

"What's weirder than zombies?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes. The uneasy feeling was coming back in full force.

"Uh, Mr. Bushido?" Vivi spoke up. "You wouldn't happen to have an older brother who looks eerily like you and also carries three swords, do you?"

"That's an awfully specific question," Zoro said, raising an eyebrow. "No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

Vivi bit her lip. "...You should probably see for yourself."

Vivi and her group walked over to their friends, then moved out of the way so they could see who was lying in Carue's saddle more clearly. It appeared to be an unconscious man wearing a long green coat, and he did have three swords sheathed into his sash (two of which looked very familiar). And that was when they saw his face.

"HOLY CRAP!" Usopp hollered.

Nami's jaw dropped. There was just no way.

Zoro's eyes widened to the size of plates, and it was safe to say he was thoroughly freaked out. This was _his_ face he was looking at. His _own face_ was also the face of a stranger. Why did some stranger the cook found in the woods have _his_ face?

Luffy smiled. "Oh, hey Zoro! When did you go into the woods with Chopper and the others?"

"I'm right next you, moron!" Zoro snapped.

Luffy looked from the Zoro standing next to him to the 'Zoro' lying on Carue. Judging from his expression, his brain was going into overload trying to figure this out. How could there be_ two_ of Zoro?

Nami turned to the others. "Care to explain what the heck all of this is? Who... who is this guy? Why does he have..._that_ face?"

"_That_ face?" Zoro repeated. "That's _my_ face! Just what the hell is going on?!"

At Zoro's shouts, Chopper hid behind Vivi. "W-we found him in the jungle. His shoulder and head were injured... he's lost a lot of blood! I couldn't just leave him there!"

"And to be fair, we thought he was you." Vivi added.

"I patched him as well as I could back in the jungle, but he needs stitches for his shoulder," Chopper continued, his voice less timid. "I didn't have the right materials, so I told Sanji and Vivi to carry him back to the Merry. Is that okay?"

To Zoro, it was_ not_ okay. This was not natural, and he didn't want whoever this guy was on the ship. Luffy, however, had other ideas.

"Of course it's okay, Chopper," Luffy said. "Do whatever have to do."

"Thanks Luffy," Chopper said in relief. He turned to the duck. "Come on, Carue. You can help me get him to the sick bay."

Carue quacked in response and followed the doctor towards the Merry. As soon as they were gone, Zoro turned to glare at his captain.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" Zoro barked. "You can't just let Chopper take that guy aboard the Merry! We don't know_ who_ or _what_ he is!"

"Chopper's a doctor," Luffy said simply, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to tell him he can't treat someone."

"That doesn't change the fact we can't trust him!"

"Why not? I think he has a pretty trustworthy face."

"That's because it's _Zoro's_ face, idiot!" Usopp said, whacking Luffy upside the head.

"How about we go back to the Merry before we finish the discussion," Sanji sighed, running a hand tiredly through his hair. "I don't like talking about this out in the open."

Sanji had a point. There was an ominous weight hanging the air that no one liked the feel of. It was decided they would return to the Going Merry, for now.

* * *

><p>"Start from the beginning," Zoro ground out. "How<em> exactly<em> did you find this guy?"

The crew was standing on the deck of the Merry, waiting for Chopper to finish stitching up Zoro's double. Said crew could understand Zoro's agitated attitude, though. It wasn't everyday you found someone that was wearing the same face as you. Anyone would have found it unnerving.

"We were picking fruit when Carue started up this panicky squawking," Sanji said, lighting yet another smoke. "We went to check on him and found him pacing in front of Mosshead the Second. He was lying face down on the ground, sword drawn and bleeding out. He must have been in some sort of fight before we got there."

"That does sound like something that would happen to Zoro," Usopp said with a nod.

"Shut up, Longnose!" Zoro yelled. "That guy is not me!"

"I never said he was!" Usopp yelled back. "And don't make fun of my nose! I got this nose from my mother!"

"Enough you two!" Nami shouted. "Yelling at each other isn't going to fix anything. Sanji, please continue."

"Of course, Nami my love!" Sanji cooed before getting serious again. "Anyway, Chopper immediately got to work tending to his wounds. This left me and Vivi to try and figure how Zoro could be in the woods when we saw him not twenty minutes ago on the beach." He breathed out some smoke. "Seeing as Zoro's standing only a couple feet away from me, either that man in the sick bay is just a look-alike or Mosshead also has an older brother he never told us about."

"I said I don't have an older brother, swirls!" Zoro argued. He paused. "Why do you keep saying 'older' brother?"

"I'd be saying he was your twin or something," Usopp added. He struck a dramatic pose. "Long lost twins, separated at birth by circumstances they could not control!"

"Cool!" Luffy cheered.

"Shut up, I don't have a twin either!" Zoro yelled. He looked at Vivi. "Why did you think he was my older brother?"

"This guy does look almost exactly like you," Vivi explained. "But his features are more... mature. I'd say this man is a year or two older than you, if not more."

"Aw," Luffy sighed. "Guess that means he's not Zoro's long lost twin."

"Why are you disappointed about that?" Zoro asked, sweatdropping.

"Twins are cool."**  
><strong>

"If you say so."

"Sanji, I don't think the other Mr. Bushido is our Mr. Bushido's brother," Vivi went on. "Brothers look alike, but they usually don't have the same scars on their chests."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Sanji remembered. "Other Zoro did have the same scar on his chest as Zoro."

Zoro's hand floated up to his chest. It was bad enough the Other Zo- the_ lookalike_ had his face, but his marks of pride as well?

"It's not just the one of his chest," Chopper added, coming out of the door that led to the galley.

"Hey, Chopper!" Luffy greeted. "How's Other Zoro doing?"

"When did we start calling him 'Other Zoro'?" Usopp wondered.

Chopper wiped some sweat off his brow. "As I thought, the wound on his shoulder wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed. I disinfected the wound and stitched it closed, and I have him set up on a mattress on the floor in the galley. I hope you don't mind, Sanji. I didn't feel comfortable giving him stitches on those crates we're using as my examination table."

Sanji waved it off. "It's alright. Just clean everything up when you move him again. Now, you were saying something about his scars?"

"Oh right. As I was saying, Other Zoro doesn't just have the same chest scar as our Zoro. I took off his boots before I laid him out on the mattress, and do you know what I saw? Other Zoro has the same scars around his ankles as Zoro!"

Chopper had first seen Zoro's ankle scars the previous day, spotting them after the latter kicked off his boots to train. When he asked Nami, she simply said they were from Zoro being stupid and not to worry about it. Chopper ended up examining them anyway.

"Seriously!?" Luffy asked. "Does this mean Other Zoro tried to cut his feet off too?"

"Zoro got those scars from trying to cut off his feet?!" Chopper gasped. He collected himself. "Ahem. The Other Zoro's ankle scars were at least a few years old, but they were completely identical."

"Okay, this is getting kind of creepy," Nami said, hugging her arms. "I know there's a saying about how there's somebody out there who looks just like you, but I don't think they're supposed to be_ that_ similar."

"Tell me about it," Sanji said, exhaling smoke. "One sword freak is bad enough; I don't think the world could handle two of him."

Zoro no longer looked agitated, even with the fuel of Sanji's remark. Instead, he appeared to be thoughtful. Nami was right for once about how strange this was. No two people were_ that_ similar. Scars were like fingerprints; you could never find two identical ones. If this 'Other Zoro' really did have all the same scars as himself, only older, on top of the fact he looked exactly like him... could it be possible that...

Zoro sighed internally. Well, this was the Grand Line. He'd bet money that they would run into much, much weirder before their journey was through. Still, he needed see one thing before he was convinced...

"Chopper, is my look-alike ready to receive visitors?"

Everyone on deck turned to look at the swordsman, surprised by his sudden change in attitude and even more so that he actually wanted to_ see_ Other Zoro.

"Uh, I guess so," Chopper replied. "Why?"

"I have a guess as to where he came from," Zoro explained, getting up from the barrel he was sitting on. "But I need to check something to be sure."

"You're going to look at Other Zoro's swords, right?" Luffy asked.

Zoro simply raised his eyebrow while the others (except Chopper, who didn't know this was unlike Luffy yet) gawked at their captain's perceptiveness.

"Two of them looked kind of like yours," Luffy went on. "You want to go in and check them out, don't you?"

Zoro smirked. "Guess I can't keep anything from you, can I, Captain? You okay with it?"

Luffy grinned. "Sure, but only if the rest of us get to come in too. Is _that_ okay with_ you_?"

Zoro nodded and said it was, because he knew that even if he said no, Luffy would go ahead and do it anyway. He was just as interested in the mystery behind the Other Zoro (for lack of a better thing to call him) as the rest of the crew. Once they got the okay from Chopper, the crew filed into the galley.

* * *

><p>It was just as Chopper said. The doctor had pushed the dining table up against the wall, and the Other Zoro was laid on a mattress in the middle of the floor with a blanket over him. His shoulder and part of his chest were bandaged, as well as the wound on his forehead. Chopper had removed his coat and sash, folded them neatly, and placed them on the table. His boots and bandanna were resting on top of his coat, and the doctor had lined the Other Zoro's swords carefully in a row on the table next to his clothes.<p>

Chopper immediately knelt down and started examining his patient again, starting by listening to his heart with a stethoscope. One could never be too careful.

Meanwhile, this was the first time the crew, aside from the members who found him, were getting a good look at the Other Zoro. Up close, they could see the striking similarities, but also the differences.

Other Zoro had even bigger muscles than their Zoro, if that was possible, as well as a slightly thicker neck. His mossy hair was also a little longer and partially slicked back. Besides the massive one stretching from his left shoulder to his right hip, his body (the parts visible from beneath the blanket) was a patchwork of other thin scars running along each other. And speaking of scars, Other Zoro had a thin one running down his left eye, as if he had been sliced there. (Which, knowing their own Zoro, was probably the case.)

It was as Vivi said. Other Zoro looked like their Zoro, but a few years older.

"I can see why you all thought he was Zoro's older brother," Usopp admitted. "The likeness is almost uncanny."

Usopp could imagine that if they put Zoro through some magic aging machine, Other Zoro would most likely be the end product.

Sanji leaned over, glancing at the Other Zoro's eye scar. "What's up with his eye? I noticed the scar earlier."

Chopper looked up briefly. "I took a look at it when I was treating his head. Other Zoro is blind in his left eye."

For some reason, that new information made something twist in Sanji's stomach, though he wasn't sure why. At the same time, Luffy also gained an unreadable, blank look in his eyes at Chopper's words as he looked upon his swordsman's double.

Zoro rolled his own eyes. Now he was doubting his theory; like he would ever be stupid enough to let something happen to his eye. Becoming the world's greatest swordsman would be hard enough without throwing a lack of depth perception into the mix... then again, even he couldn't control the outcome of a battle, and he doubted his look-alike was any different.

Nami walked over to the table and inspected Other Zoro's clothes. "Hmm. Well, it looks like this man doesn't share all of the same disastrous fashion tastes as Zoro. This coat is actually kind of nice."

Vivi also walked over to the table, but not to look at Other Zoro's clothes. Her focus was on the small stack of clear vials lying on the table. Each vial had a thin needle sticking out of it.

She picked one up. "What are these? Syringes?"

Luffy also looked. "They look like darts to me."

Usopp picked one up and lowered one of his goggles' lenses, examining it. "You're both right, actually. These are tranquilizer darts."

"Tranquilizer darts?" the princess repeated. She frowned. "Nasty."

"You recognize them, Usopp?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. You can load these kind into a gun and fire them at rampaging animals or even people. They hold a liquid that can make you pass out if it gets injected into your bloodstream."

"Wow, Usopp!" Chopper said. "You sure know a lot! I only recognized them because Doctorine sometimes used them on her more unruly patients." Doctor Hiruluk used them as well, but Chopper didn't feel like explaining that at the moment.

"I don't doubt that," Sanji said, wincing as he rubbed the small of his back.

"Well, of course!" Usopp said proudly to the little doctor. "What kind of sniper would the Great Captain Usopp be if I didn't know my way around different kinds of ammunition?"

"You're a captain, Usopp?" Chopper gasped. "That's amazing!... Wait, I thought Luffy was the captain."

"I am," Luffy replied. "But before he joined our crew, Usopp was captain of the Usopp Pirates. Right, Usopp?"

"Right!" Usopp nodded.

Chopper's eyes sparkled in admiration.

"Why do you have tranq darts, Chopper?" Zoro asked.

Chopper stopped sparkling and gestured to Other Zoro. "I pulled them out of his body. He's lucky, though. If anyone else had taken that much tranquilizer into their body, their heart would have stopped."

"ZORO COULD HAVE DIED?!" Luffy hollered. Carue quacked worriedly also.

"Other Zoro's not our Zoro, moron!" Nami yelled at him.

"Quiet! He needs to rest!" Chopper scolded them. "You'll wake him!"

"Please," Sanji scoffed. "He's hopped up on tranquilizers and, if he's anything like our Mosshead, it'll take nothing short of charging Marines carrying booze to wake him up. However, that's not the problem here."

"It's not?"

"No, it's not. Other Mosshead had his sword drawn when we found him, and his bandanna was over his head. If he's like Mosshead in personality as well as looks, he would only do that in a serious fight."

Zoro was actually slightly impressed that Sanji noticed that about him. Now that he would ever say that out loud, of course.

Sanji took a drag. "Now if you throw tranquilizer darts into the situation..."

A silence fell over the room.

"There's someone on that island," Zoro said, most likely speaking for everyone. "Someone who felt he needed to take my counterpart down at any cost. Who's to say they won't come after us next?"

Nami and Usopp shrieked in fear, Vivi frowned worriedly, and Luffy looked interested at the prospect of a fight. If Sanji had a problem with Zoro interrupting him, he wasn't saying anything. Zoro made his way to the table, deciding now would be a good time to study his double's swords.

First, the red sheathed one. He picked it up and removed it from its sheathe, seeing the familiar flame-like patterns down its blade. The immediate surge of blood lust and anger that radiated from the sword proved it to be Sandai Kitetsu. Zoro feel could feel its dissatisfaction, as if it were wondering why such weak hands dared to wield it. Zoro glared at the blade, slid it back into the sheathe, and set it down.

Next, the black sheathed one. Zoro knew immediately it was not Yubashiri. The sheathe of this sword was black like Yubashiri's, but this one had red dots running down it instead of gold decorations. Wrapped around the upper part of the sheathe was a _sageo_ rope, and the_ tsuba_ was shaped like a flower instead of Yubashiri's cross-like one. He drew it, and his hand did an involuntary dip. This sword was much heavier than Yubashiri. Still, Zoro had to admire the craftsmanship of the red and black patterned blade. This was a nice sword, one he wouldn't mind using if he ever decided to move from Santoryu to Yontoryu. Back in its sheathe and on the table it went.

Lastly, the white sheathed one. Zoro didn't have to unsheathe it, hold it, or even look at it all that closely. He'd had this sword since he was a child and he recognized it instantly. This white sword was Kuina's sword, no mistaking it. His hand went to the white sword at his own hip, and he glanced at Other Zoro.

"So," Luffy piped up. "Anything to say about the swords?"

It was then Zoro finally noticed the crew had been watching him the entire time he had been inspecting his double's weapons.

For a few moments while he had been inspecting though, they had decided to worry about one problem at a time, so the possibility of an enemy being on the island was pushed into a corner for now. They'd focus on the situation at hand first.

"Yeah," Zoro sighed, rubbing his neck tiredly. "I've never seen the black one before, but the other two are definitely mine."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright then. Guess that's that."

"They can't be the same swords," Nami argued. "It's just not possible. Maybe they're duplicates too, or-"

"Nami, shut up," Zoro said a stern, calm tone.

Nami obliged, surprisingly.

Zoro slid his own swords out of his haramaki and held them up. "This red sheathed sword is Sandai Kitetsu, and the white one is Wado Ichimonji. Every sword that's made, including these two, is completely unique. _Especially_ these two. You can't just create counterfeits; it's not possible." He put Kitetsu back, but held Wado a little higher. "I've had this one since I was a little kid. I'd know it anywhere, and the one on the table is the same sword. I'd bet my life on it."

Of course, the declaration only made everything more confusing as opposed to clearing everything up. Two of Zoro, two of two of Zoro's swords, what was next? A duplicate of the Going Merry sailing up next to them?

"If they're the same swords, it doesn't explain how two of them can exist at the same time," Vivi said. "Just who is Other Mr. Bushido?"

"I actually have a theory about that," Zoro said. "I wanted to look at his swords to prove it, and this just did. This guy-"

"Is you, isn't he."

Another startling observation from the ship's resident captain. The others gawked (even Chopper, this time).

"_EHHHHHHHH?!_"

Zoro didn't look too shocked. He knew Luffy had come to the same conclusion he had when he said he wanted to see the swords. He knew Luffy acted like (and primarily was) a complete moron, but if there was one thing Luffy knew, it was his crew.

"Luffy, what do you mean?" Usopp asked slowly.

"Other Zoro _is_ Zoro," Luffy said, shrugging. "But, you know, different."

"By different, he means 'older,'" Zoro added. "'Other Zoro' is an older version of me."

"That's impossible!" Sanji shouted. "You're right here! How can he be an older version of you?!"

"...Other Zoro does have the same blood type as Zoro. I checked," Chopper said quietly. He tapped his nose. "And they have the same scent."

"That doesn't answer my question, reindeer!" Sanji snapped.

"We're on the Grand Line, Cook," Zoro said, crossing his arms. "You have to be prepared for much stranger than running into an older version of your crewmate."

"I'm with Sanji on this!" Nami shouted, making Sanji twirl in happiness. "I can understand how him actually being you explains why you and he and the swords are all practically identical, but that doesn't explain how he got here! Are you suggesting he traveled in time or something?"

"You said it, not me."

"Arghh!"

"I've read about this happening in fiction books, but not in real life," Vivi said. "Still, I personally can't think of anything else that can explain how someone like him exists. If only we knew how he even got on this island..."

"Let's ask!" Luffy suggested.

Luffy walked over to where the Other Zoro lay, knelt down, and placed his palm on the double's chest.

"Zoro, wake up!"

And he did.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"... What's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro. You?"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"... How old are you?"

"I'm twenty one. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're nineteen."

"Good guess."


	4. Roronoa, Meet Zoro

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, Zoro and Sanji would never wear shirts. Like, ever.**

**I decided this this fanfic need a theme song. The theme song for Tomorrow's Romance Dawn will be One Piece Opening 14, "Fight Together," the English version done by MidiGuyFDdp21 on Youtube. Check it out, it's nicely done. I chose this instead of the Japanese version because MidiGuyFDdp21 used some lyrics that will fit this perfectly later on.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: Roronoa, Meet Zoro. And Vice Versa.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Near the Fruit Glade, Kāla<strong>

Erity's eyebrow twitched. It was days like these that made her wonder why she worked with these people.

"Explain to me," she said, squeezing the bridge of her nose, "how exactly you two got like this _again_?"

Yari and Runo glared down at her. "SHUT UP AND GET US DOWN!"

By "get us down," they meant to free them from the giant- and incredibly vicious- venus flytraps they had 'mysteriously' gotten attacked by and caught in.

That's right. Venus flytraps. Giant ones.

Erity rolled her eyes. The whole picture before her would have been almost funny, if this hadn't happened _two times_ already. So much for lethal New World bounty hunters. The boss said they had come highly recommended, so she didn't doubt their skills. It was their intelligence level that was going to cause issues. These two were complete buffoons.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer!" Runo shouted as one of the flytraps attempted to bite down on him. "Help us out here!"

"Come _on_, Runo," she said in a whiny tone. "You've gotten out of tighter spots than that. And this the third time today!"

"FLYTRAPS ARE_ NOT_ AIR DUCTS AND BOXES! HELP US OR JUST DIE!"

Erity rolled her eyes again and grabbed one of the men's sabers from its sheathe. She was no swordsman, and she knew those flytraps were stronger than any mere sword, but she could at least get them to let go. (She didn't really even have to use the sword in reality, but at this point, she was fed up.) She jumped forward and stabbed the blade into the flytraps' maws. The plants shrieked (_can_ plants shriek?) and dropped their would-be meals. Runo and Yari ran away as fast as they could, giving the men a chance to come in with flamethrowers. (And Vaughan said bringing the flamethrowers would be self-indulgent. Ha!)

Yari and Runo stood next to Erity now, panting. The latter gave them a harsh glare.

"What?" Yari asked.

"I'm ashamed to be seen with you," Erity replied, turning to walk away.

"Hey, don't blame us for that!" Runo protested, walking quickly beside her. "Yari and I are supposed the brains of this operation! You and the Vamp are the muscle!"

_Ironic_, Erity thought. _Given I once saw you toss the anchor like it was a baseball_.

"Vaughan is not a vampire. I checked," Yari added. "And as for my contribution to the argument, how were we supposed to know that coward had such... _unusual_ ammunition?"

"He was in the New World and a member of _that_ crew," Erity huffed. "You should have expected him to be strong despite also being a coward. And don't the two of you have Kenbunshoku Haki? You should_ literally_ be able to see his attacks coming, or at least know where he is!"

"We can hear his 'voice', but for whatever reason, we cannot pinpoint it. And knowing an attack is coming does not help if we are unable to avoid it," Yari replied simply. "Even a novice knows that."

"Ooh, burn!" Runo snickered.

Erity rolled her eyes once again (geez, if she kept this up, she'd be as dizzy as a dodo bird by the end of the day). "Forget it. Have the men had any luck yet?"

Yari shook her head. "None whatsoever. They have not found any trace of the boss's treasure. Oh, and five of them got eaten."

She added that last part as something of a side note, causing Erity to nearly miss the fact she said it at all.

"What do you mean 'they got eaten?'" Erity demanded.

"They waded through the island's lake, and a sea king got them."

"... What was a sea king doing in a lake?"

"Who knows?" Runo shrugged, his usual feral smile on. "We _are_ on Kāla. This is the kind of place that's supposed to drive you mad. Nothing makes sense here."

Erity sighed and rubbed her temple. Maybe joining up on this venture hadn't been the best of ideas. If she had known how many headaches it was going to cause, she would have never agreed to it in the first place. No one would blame her if she quit now and went home... the others would be happy to have her back. But that wasn't an option- she was no quitter, not with stuff like this. Not to mention she wouldn't be able to take the disappointed, exasperated looks she would receive upon returning empty handed. She also actually liked bounty-hunting and she got to do that with the boss's group. Turning in scumbag pirates' bounties was fun. Turning in bounties in general was fun. Not that she would turn in her queen's bounty. She wasn't that heartless.

It was then Erity noticed they had arrived at the part of the forest where all those fruit trees were. It was perfect timing, too. She was famished and some fruit was exactly what she needed. As she approached a peach tree, she remembered how they found this place. It was after she and Vaughan had taken care of that weird kid, and Vaughan had to help finish off that moss-headed swordsman-

Wait a second.

Erity walked backward a few feet and looked down. There was blood on the grass and signs of a fight all around.

But no body.

Erity pursed her lips. This was where they left his body; she remembered it specifically because she recalled arguing with Vaughan about just leaving a high-bountied pirate behind when they could turn in his corpse later (Vaughan argued that his price would be dropped thirty percent, therefore not worth it). She didn't have anything against the swordsman, and actually would have preferred it if he didn't die. But money was money; one could never have too much of that. Anyway, the guy had taken seven darts of tranquilizer, and she recalled Vaughan telling her just one of those darts held enough tranq to drop an elephant. There was no way he could have survived; but a dead body didn't just get up and walk away, so how-

_**POP!**_

"ERITY!"

Erity looked up to find a _very_ familiar sight indeed and she immediately forgot about the missing body. She had other problems to deal with now.

"SERIOUSLY?! _AGAIN_?"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Up a Tree that is a Relatively Safe Distance from the Fruit Glade, Kāla<strong>

He pulled down his goggles, sighing. This was the fourth time those freaks had let themselves get caught by that same attack. It wouldn't be long before they began figuring out ways to get out of it. However, he would cross that bridge when he came to it, and would for now continue with his current plan.

He grit his teeth. Dang it, why didn't the others listen to him? He knew coming to this island was a bad idea. The island was covered in fog and a current practically dragged their ship there. Didn't they learn about what happened whenever their crew came ashore islands with fog after their experiences on Thriller Bark? Did anyone listen to him? Did anyone _ever_ listen to him? No, they didn't, because pretty much everyone else on the crew had a death wish!

And then all this had happened. He didn't know where the others were, except maybe the few that freak with the feral grin had gotten a hold of, but he didn't like the blood on the ground in the glade. It could easily belong to any one of his crewmates.

He had considered going after the ones that were kidnapped, but decided against it. The last time he went after something stolen alone... didn't go so well. He was stronger now than he was back then, but he knew his limits. Storming the proverbial castle was a two-man job, preferably if that second man was a member of the crew's Monster Trio.

So he would watch, wait, and hinder their progress. These bounty hunters were searching for something on this island, and he wasn't about to let them have whatever they wanted.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Aboard the Going Merry, anchored in the water outside of Kāla (Cause if you haven't figured out this is where they are by now, now you know.)<strong>

_"Time, time. I can't tell you much," the brat said with a shrug. "Time does pretty much whatever it wants here."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

_"Tell you what, how about you figure it out and tell me later. Sound good to you, Moss Hair?"_

_The brat had disappeared into the trees before he could reprimand her for that comment. It wasn't long after that did he encounter one of the other visitors to the island._

_"Okay, Mr. Tough Guy. How much pain can you handle?"_

_"Pain remembers, you know. What does your pain remember?"_

_"Wow, you are not even screaming. That is some high tolerance you got there."_

__Talk about a psycho. Then someone else came.__

_"Their crew is of low priority right now. Let the tranqs stop his heart and let's go. We don't have time for him."_

_Then darkness came._

"Zoro, wake up!"

Zoro's good eye snapped open at his captain's voice. His vision was blurred, but it was quickly clearing up. His shoulder ached and his head throbbed, but it wasn't so bad that he couldn't ignore it. He was lying on something soft, and a blanket was pulled over his body.

So that meant he wasn't in the jungle anymore. Was he back on the Sunny? He didn't remember anything after blacking out... or more specifically, after that red-eyed freak hit him with tranq darts. He scowled inwardly. He couldn't believe he let himself be brought down by something as pathetic as tranquilizer darts. If the cook ever learned about this (and chances were he already had), he'd never let him live it down.

"Zoro?" Luffy's voice broke in. He began poking Zoro's head. "Zooooorrroooo. You awake?"

"His eyes- er, eye opened, crappy captain. He's awake," the cook's voice said, being ever so considerate by standing on Zoro's blind side.

Not that it mattered. His vision was still a little swimmy. Though, why did the cook sound so uneasy?

"Then how come he hasn't said anything?" Luffy asked. "He's just lying there."

"I'm awake, Luffy" Zoro rasped, swatting the rubber boy's hand away. He immediately regretted talking, for his throat felt dry and nasty. He needed a drink of water, badly. He pushed himself into a sitting position, which immediately sent a flare of pain through his shoulder.

The pain was minimal compared to what that witch had put him through earlier, but it was enough to make him clutch the afflicted shoulder.

"Don't sit up!" Chopper's voice shrieked. "You'll tear open your stitches!"

Zoro began to roll his eye, but stopped midway. This was Chopper's usual spiel, but it sounded different this time. Chopper sounded nervous, or even almost... scared.

The cook sounded uneasy, and Chopper sounded scared. What was wrong? What had happened that was making his crewmates act so strange?

"I'm fine, Chopper," Zoro said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "You know I've had much worse than a sliced-up shoulder." He coughed. "Damn it. Can somebody get me some water or something?"

A cup was thrust into his hands a minute later by who he assumed was Nami. Would his stupid vision just clear up already? He didn't need to be blind in both his eyes. Getting used to just having one eye was annoying enough.

"So, Zoro," Luffy said. "How'd you end up in the mystery jungle?"

"And unconscious, for that matter?" Nami added. She too sounded strange, like she was talking to a stranger instead of her crewmate.

Zoro took a sip and shrugged, and this time he ignored the pain it brought. "I was walking with Brook and he got lost. I ended up in the jungle so I started looking for him, but then this creepy girl showed up and we fought." He scowled. "She didn't win. Some red eyed freak showed up and knocked me out. I'll explain more later. Anyway, did anything happen before you guys brought me back to the Sunny? Cook, Nami, and Chopper are all acting weird."

"What's the Sunny?" someone asked.

Zoro turned to give the speaker a look that asked if they were stupid. "You know, the _Thousand Sunny_? The name of our-"

He froze. His vision had cleared up almost entirely by this point, and he was quite surprised to see the speaker was someone who should not have been there. Someone who he hadn't seen in over two years, and her duck.

"Vivi? Carue?" he asked, trying not to sound too incredulous. "What are you guys doing here?"

Vivi hadn't changed a bit, and neither had Carue, which Zoro found odd. His crew certainly looked a little different after two years, so wouldn't Vivi have changed in some way? She looked exactly the way she did when she said goodbye to the Straw Hats, minus the princess get up. She was even wearing that pink t-shirt with the black x's Nami had given her.

Vivi crossed her arms. "I've been here for awhile now... Mr. Bushido. More than two weeks, in fact."

Carue nodded in agreement.

Zoro would have felt a little nostalgic at being called by his old nickname if the circumstances were different. What did Vivi mean she had been on the ship for almost two weeks? They were on Sabaody two weeks ago!

"I think we all would have noticed you if you had been on board, Vivi," Zoro argued. "How did you get all the way out here? Last I checked, we left you in Alabasta after Luffy kicked that sand croc's ass, and we haven't seen you since."

Vivi looked startled and... what would be a good word? Driven? Yeah, that was it. She looked driven. "Sand croc? Do you mean _Crocodile_?"

"Do you know any other sand crocs?" Zoro deadpanned.

"Sand croc? Shishishi, that's funny!" Luffy laughed. "Why do you call him that?"

Zoro turned to remind Luffy that _he_ was the one who came up with that nickname, but the words faded from his mind before he even said them. Luffy looked... different. He was lankier, and, even though he was crouching, Zoro could tell he was a little shorter. As for Luffy's eyes, they were... brighter. Brighter than they had been recent days anyway.

Luffy was also wearing that old red vest of his instead of the cardigan he favored now, but it showed enough of Luffy's chest reveal something was missing.

"Luffy..." Zoro said slowly. "Where's your scar?"

Luffy blinked, then pointed under his eye. "You mean this one?"

"Not the one under your eye, you moron! I was talking about the one on your chest!"

"I don't have a scar on my chest."

"Yeah, you do. It's big, red, and shaped like an 'x.' Scars like that don't just disappear, so where did yours go?"

Luffy frowned as his brow furrowed, and Zoro recognized it as Luffy's "I'm slightly confused and/or troubled" look. What was wrong with Luffy? Forgetting an old adversary's nickname was one thing (though how Luffy could ever forget _anything_ about Crocodile was beyond him); forgetting you had a scar and said scar being _missing_ was another. Not to mention Vivi and Carue were there when they definitely were not supposed to be. How in the world did they get on the Sunny? They hadn't been on the ship when they left Dock Island, they hadn't been on the ship when they left Fishman Island, and they definitely hadn't been on the ship when they left Sabaody Archipelago. Anytime before that, _no one_ had been on the ship.

Zoro was getting a bad feeling about this. It was the same feeling he got either right before a fight, or right before he was in for the headache of the century. And why wasn't anyone else saying anything? Why were they all just standing there in the galley, acting out of character and-

Wait a second. Zoro's eye scanned the room, and saw they were in _a_ galley. Just not the Sunny's.

"No way..." he said in an almost whisper.

Luffy cocked his head. "Zoro? Is there something wrong?"

This was impossible. There was no way he could be back in this galley. There was absolutely no conceivable way he could ever be back in _this_ particular galley.

"Is he alright?" Zoro heard Vivi whisper. "He looks like he's seen a ghost."

"You got me. I've only ever seen 'Zoro_' _look that freaked out once," he heard Usopp reply.

Zoro kicked off his blankets and jumped to his feet, immediately earning cries of protest from Chopper. He noticed his swords were laying on the galley table (How many times had he eaten on that table? He even carved his initials into it when the cook wasn't looking), so he snatched them up, shoved them through his haramaki, rammed his way past his crew, and gripped the knob of the door leading outside.

"Hey, hold on!" Chopper shouted fearfully. "You shouldn't be moving so much!"

"Watch who you're pushing, Mosshead!" Sanji added.

Zoro ignored them, pushed the door open, and ran out towards the deck.

* * *

><p>After which he immediately stopped, causing him to slide a little due to inertia. He took in his surroundings, trying not to look too "freaked out", as Usopp put it. (If anyone should have been freaked out in this situation, it should have been the longnose.)<p>

The sun was setting, painting the deck in reds and golds. This deck had no soft grass; only splintery planks were under his feet as he walked down the stairs to the main deck. The only source of greenery anywhere were Nami's tangerine trees. Robin's flowerbed was not there, and neither was Usopp's garden. There was only one mast, and it was covered in metal plates from the time the captain ripped it off. The crow's nest looked painfully small compared to the observatory, and the helm was back in the galley instead of on deck. The figurehead was not a lion/sunflower/sun/whatever, but a cute smiling sheep's head. Even that looked like it was about to fall off, what with the plate around it's neck from the time a whale knocked it clean off.

It was a small, humble ship, and Zoro knew he wouldn't want it to look any other way. This didn't, however, change the fact that this ship _wasn't supposed to be here_. This ship was gone, dang it. It was gone, it was dead, he had watched it burn along with everyone else-

Zoro took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. He was not going to lose control of his emotions over this. Recollecting himself, he walked over to the figurehead and gently rested his palm against it.

"Merry," he said softly. "What are you doing here? What's Vivi doing here? Just what the hell is going on?"

"That's what we should be asking."

Zoro's eye widened. It was his voice that said that, but he hadn't been the one who said it. He turned around in time to see the speaker emerge from around the corner he had been watching from.

That was when the day went from weird to just downright creepy. He recognized this young man's face, and that was because he saw it everyday in the mirror. At least, he saw everyday in the mirror back when he had both his eyes.

"Sorry I stepped out," the young man said. "Nami made me. Whispered something about not wanting you to freak."

Zoro's eye trailed from the young man's face to his three swords. Two of them were currently supposed to be strapped to his own hip, and they were. The third he had left behind on Thriller Bark.

"Yeah, bizarre, huh?" the younger of the two asked.

"To put it mildly," Zoro scoffed. He ran his hand through his hair. "Stupid Grand Line Islands..."

The rest of the crew must have decided now would be a good time to come after Zoro, because they all filed out of the galley and on to the deck. Now that they were in front of Zoro, he could see they too were different, just like Luffy had been. Nami's hair was shorter and she was wearing the old log pose instead the new one she got from Fishman Island. Curlicue's hair was parted back to the way it had been before their crew's separation, and he didn't have the new muscle mass he'd gained. And speaking of a lack of muscle mass, Usopp was back to looking like a toothpick in overalls. Chopper wasn't as lightly colored, and he was wearing his pink hat without the blue cap he now put over it. Vivi and Carue, of course, were self-explanatory.

Nami gasped, looking at their surroundings in bewilderment. "Why the_ heck_ is the sun setting? It's only noon!"

"Wow, that took longer than I thought it would!" Luffy said, adjusting his hat. "It felt like only a few minutes!"

"It WAS a few minutes!" Usopp hollered. "The sun shouldn't be setting!"

"It's just like all the ripe fruit," Vivi said to herself. "It's like the seasons and the sun are out of sync with everything else."

"Hey, Mosshead!" Sanji shouted at the younger of the two Mossheads. "You could've told us this was happening! The sun setting six hours early would have been nice to know!"

The younger man ignored the cook, instead only focusing on Zoro. He crossed his arms, as if he were waiting for something.

Zoro knit his eyebrows and also crossed his arms. "...What's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro," the younger man replied. "You?"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"...How old are you?"

"I'm twenty one. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're nineteen."

"Good guess."

Both Zoros stared at each other, and what was running through their minds was anyone's guess. They both pulled off the exact same poker face. The rest of the crew watched the exchange in silence, waiting for some of kind reaction.

The older Zoro felt his shoulder throb, and looked down to see bright red staining the bandages. Just as Chopper predicted, he'd torn open his stitches.

"You might want to get that looked at," the younger Zoro commented.

Older Zoro clutched the wounded shoulder. "I've had worse. It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Chopper hollered, running over to the older swordsman. "Get back in the galley right now so I can fix this!"

Older Zoro glanced down at the reindeer. Younger Zoro had a scary enough face as it is, but the fact the Older Zoro was missing an eye made him look scarier.

"Uh... i-if you w-wouldn't mind, t-that is," Chopper stuttered, now looking ready to bolt.

Younger Zoro noticed flash of emotion appear and disappear quickly over Older Zoro's features. It was... hurt. It_ hurt_ Older Zoro that the young doctor was afraid of him. Younger Zoro thought that was a little out of character, but didn't comment.

"I don't mind, Chopper," Older Zoro sighed at last. He began walking toward the galley. "Let's just get this over with."

Chopper nodded hesitantly and followed after him. Only the younger swordsman noticed when the elder swordsman made a quick glance at their captain before looking away. Once the elder swordsman and the reindeer were inside, said captain turned to Sanji.

"Hey, Sanji, get started on dinner. I'm hungry and I bet Other Zoro is too," Luffy commanded with a grin.

"Is your stomach all you can think about?!" Sanji shouted. "What about the fact we currently have two Mossheads on the Merry? And what do you mean, 'dinner?" It's lunch time!"

"But the sun is setting," Luffy replied. "That means it'll be night soon, and that means dinner. As for Zoro, what's to think? Zoro is Zoro; there's just two of him now, and one of them's a little different."

Sanji heaved an aggravated sigh. He never understood Luffy's logic, and he had a feeling he never would.

"Best just to do what he says, Sanji," Usopp said, patting the chef's back. "I have feeling we're going to have one long night ahead of us, and eating a little food would be good place to start."

"I agree with Usopp," Vivi added. "Some dinner might be a good icebreaker with the Other Mr. Bushido. We can ask him how he got here while we eat."

"You're so practical Vivi-chwan, that's an excellent idea!" Sanji praised joyfully. "Only you could think of such a brilliant notion!"

"Hey!" Usopp protested.

"I'll get started on our dinner-for-lunch right away!" Sanji continued.

"Yosh! Dinner-for-lunch!" Luffy cheered.

The captain, cook, chef, princess, and duck all filed back into the galley. Younger Zoro remained on deck, a serious expression on his face. Nami remained as well.

"Zoro, are you coming?" Nami asked quietly. She sighed. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to come in. I can only imagine how I would feel if an older version of me showed up. It would bother me a little, I guess. And then there's all this stuff with the island and the sunset. Everything is so strange here, and I want to know what's happening."

Younger Zoro didn't answer right away, and for a moment Nami thought that maybe he hadn't been paying attention. She was about to speak up and get his attention, but he beat her to it.

"I'm not bothered by him personally," he sighed, rubbing his neck and turning to face the navigator. "What bothers me is what he might represent."

Nami wasn't sure what the swordsman meant by that, but he didn't elaborate. He instead silently walked past her and started climbing up to the crow's nest.

"See you later," he said. "Call me when dinner's ready."

Nami frowned, but didn't try to stop him. She had a feeling he needed a little time to himself right now. Without another word, she went to join the others in the galley.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"Just tell me the most recent thing that has happened to you all," Roronoa said. "I'm trying to figure out how far back I've gone."

"Well, we left Drum Island two days ago," Vivi offered.

Roronoa spit out his sake.


	5. The Most Awkward Meal Ever

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. It is solely the creation of Oda-sama.**

**One Piece Episode 635: So, Bartolomeo's seiyu! Bart's voice is somewhat shaky sounding, but it works for him. And I love the scene where Zoro's chasing the "fairy." It was funny.**

**As for the recent update, I've been snowed in by the recent freakish weather, so I have an armload of free time. Not much happens in this chapter except a lot of talking, but the next one will be far more action-y. So don't forget to read and review! I love hearing from all of you!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 4: The Most Awkward Dinner-For-Lunch Ever<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Undetermined. It <em>might<em> be noon though...  
><strong>**Location: The Galley of the Going Merry**

If voiced aloud, the crew would undoubtedly unanimously decide this had to be the most awkward atmosphere they had ever been in.

Sanji was at the stove, preparing their dinner-for-lunch. He was smoking while cooking, which he never really did unless his thoughts were elsewhere. Luffy hovered over his shoulder, trying to snatch bits of food, but the cook wasn't so distracted that he couldn't slap the rubber boy's hand away. Younger Zoro was still up in the crow's nest. Usopp, Nami, and Vivi were seated at the dining table, watching as Chopper finished putting fresh bandages on the Older Zoro's shoulder.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say they were just watching the Older Zoro.

No one was saying anything, not even Luffy. It was probably the quietest the ship had ever been, and this was what made the atmosphere so... well, awkward. No one seemed to have any idea as to what to say in a situation like this. If there was a pirate handbook, it most likely didn't dictate what to do if you either ended up on an island with no sense of time or if a future version of your swordsman showed up. It was not normal, but it did evoke a lot of similar thoughts from the crew.

Vivi was thinking about what the Older Mr. Bushido said about Crocodile. According to him, Luffy defeated the warlord and the crew left her in Alabasta. Did this mean she would succeed in convincing the rebel army to stand down? A person from the future_ would_ have knowledge of future events. The idea of the crew staying with her through this despite it not being their problem made her feel happy, though. Still... they just_ left_ her? She knew she wasn't going to stay with the crew forever, but that thought made her feel a little sick.

Usopp was drawing circles on the table with his finger, thinking about the Going Merry. He had watched Older Zoro's reaction upon stepping out on to the deck through the open door. The expression on his face... it was as if he couldn't believe he was standing on the ship. It was as Vivi said, Older Zoro looked like he had seen a ghost. Just what happened to the Merry to make him look like that? And even before that, he'd said something about the crew bringing him back to the _Sunny_. What was "the Sunny?"

Nami was trying _not_ to think about Older Zoro, actually. She was thinking about her log pose and the triple pose they found on the pink beach. Why did they just keep spinning? It was like when they first arrived in the Grand Line and her regular compass just kept spinning round and round. It did that because there were too many magnetic fields to lock on to. She doubted it was the same case here, so what was causing it? It was as if there was _nothing_ for the pose to lock on to. Also, why hadn't it pointed at the island even before they came here? Islands didn't just appear from thin air, especially not islands where the sunset came six hours early.

Sanji was trying to focus on making the crew's meal, and succeeding for the most part. The only problem was his thoughts kept leading back to the Older Mosshead. Why was he blind in his left eye? The scar on his face looked old, so if this guy really was some sort of time traveler, would it happen the Younger Mosshead soon? What if it happened while they were in Alabasta? The Mosshead was an idiot, so Sanji could see him losing an eye doing something stupid for the good of the crew. He didn't care about that sword-obsessed moron, but the idea didn't sit with him well. And then there was all that talk of Luffy _not_ having a chest scar. Going off the description the older sword freak gave, the scar sounded nasty and painful. What would happen to Luffy? What would happen to their crew in general?

Luffy... was Luffy. He was too busy trying to get food from Sanji to really think about Older Zoro. Besides, like he said, what was there to think? Zoro was Zoro. This older one shouldn't be that different... right?

Chopper was also thinking about Zoro's eye. He was still the ship's doctor in the future, wasn't he? Why would he let something like this happen? Had he been unable to doing something as simple as save a crewmate's eye? Chopper had to admit, their own swordsman scared him a little. The older swordsman scared him even more. However, a crewmate was a crewmate, even if he was scary. He would help him if needed.

Chopper sighed and tightened the last bandage. "There, that should do it. I've replaced the stitches, so as long as you don't strain yourself further, they should hold."

Older Zoro rotated his shoulder, then reached for his boots, which were still laying on his folded coat. "Thanks, Chopper. You did a good job."

Chopper blushed furiously under his fur and danced happily. "Shut up, you jerk! Don't think you can butter me up like that, you idiot!"

Older Zoro smirked, but you could see the fondness in it. With his boots laced up on to his feet, the older swordsman stood up and put his coat back on. After which, he retied the bandanna around his bicep and the red sash around his waist. His three swords were immediately tied into the sash as well.

"That black one is different than the one our Zoro has," Usopp found himself saying. "What happened to the other one?"

"It died," Older Zoro replied simply, sitting back down.

"Oh, okay."

So, Zoro as a twenty-one-year-old was still as tight-lipped as ever. Usopp had a feeling the swordsman wouldn't go into detail even if he asked.

"Food's ready!" Sanji announced, holding Luffy away with an extended leg. "Someone go get Mosshead out of the crow's nest."

Luffy left to do just that, since the sooner Younger Zoro was there, the sooner he could eat. The galley once again fell into an uncomfortable silence. Older Zoro didn't appear to have any better ideas for a conversation than anyone else, so he too was staying quiet. Sanji began handing out plates (naturally giving Nami and Vivi theirs first), and it wasn't long before Luffy returned with the Younger Zoro.

Luffy ran to his seat and immediately began digging into the plate Sanji set before him, but Younger Zoro paused for a moment, glancing at his older self. The two swordsmen made brief eye contact before the younger one tore his gaze away and took his seat.

Soon everyone had their food (except Sanji, who was playing waiter) and they began to eat. The galley was still unnaturally quiet, save for the sounds of Luffy eating to his heart's content and the crew guarding their own food with their utensils. Older Zoro did a particularly impressive maneuver with his fork at one point to knock Luffy's hand away from his meat. Anyone could tell it was a move well practiced.

Speaking of eating, Older Zoro stopped and stared at his food quizzically.

"Something wrong, Other Mosshead?" Sanji asked, raising one curly eyebrow.

"Nothing," Older Zoro replied. "I just forgot how bad your food used to be."

"SAY THAT AGAIN, SWORD FREAK!" Sanji hollered, rearing back his leg to kick the elder swordsman.

"Sanji, we're eating!" Nami scolded.

"Sorry, Nami-swaaaaaan~!"

"Besides, he said 'used to be.' That implies your food gets better, at least to him, right?"

"I wouldn't say 'better,'" Older Zoro said, taking of sip of sake. "Maybe 'not _as_ bad,' but not 'better.'"

Sanji reared back his leg again, but another scolding from Nami put an end to that before it even started.

"So, the fact that you're referring to Sanji's food in the past tense means you really believe you're some kind of time traveler?" Vivi asked as she tossed an apple to Carue. The duck took it and went to go eat it in the corner.

"It's the only explanation that makes sense," Older Zoro said with a shrug. "I'd know if this were an illusion, the chances of us all dreaming is unlikely, and you can't all be shapeshifters. Still, as far as weirdness goes, time travel really takes the cake. And I've been through a lot of weird crap in the last few years."

"Ooh, ooh!" Luffy said suddenly, food spraying from his mouth.

"What is it, Luffy?" Younger Zoro asked.

"I have a question for Other Zoro!" Luffy announced. He turned his head toward the older swordsman. "Why do you call Crocodile, 'sand croc?' It's a really funny nickname."

"Who's Crocodile?" Chopper asked. He was never answered when he asked it earlier.

"He's this evil guy Luffy needs to beat up in order to save Vivi's country," Usopp replied. "Naturally I offered to do so first, but being the generous soul I am, I decided to let Luffy have the limelight this time..."

"Wow, really?" Chopper gasped.

Older Zoro stared at the sniper with a tinge of annoyance, but ignored him and answered his young captain.

"You came up with it when you learned the guy ate the Sand Sand Fruit," he explained. He took a bite of food. "It's a devil fruit that allows him to turn into sand. Convenient, given he tried to take over a desert country."

"There's a devil fruit that can do that?" Usopp asked. He could only imagine how hard it would be to attack_ sand_.

"They have a devil fruit for just about everything," Older Zoro replied. He frowned and muttered, "Never could stand Logias."

The elder swordsman sounded slightly bitter with that last sentence but no one called him out on it. Or asked what a Logia was. Luffy was content with the answer, and Vivi tucked away that nugget of information for later. This led to another few minutes of quiet eating, and a few glances from both swordsman. The Older Zoro kept glancing at Luffy and occasionally his younger self, while the Younger Zoro kept glancing at his older self. After a solid five minutes, Nami spoke up.

"Um, hey, Zoro?" she said.

"Yeah?" both Zoros replied in unison.

Nami sweatdropped. "Okay, that's going to be a problem. We can't call both of you Zoro, or things are going to get really confusing. We need to call one of you something different."

"Oh, I have the perfect names!" Luffy said excitedly. "We'll call them Zoro-chan and Zoro-ossan!"

"Who are are calling _chan_?!" Younger Zoro shouted.

"Who are you calling an _old man_?!" Older Zoro shouted.

"Don't worry, captain, I have excellent names we can call them," Sanji said. He placed a hand on Younger Zoro's head. "Idiot Mosshead." He placed his other hand on Older Zoro's head. "Bigger Idiot Mosshead."

The Zoros knocked Sanji's hands away, both snarling, "YOU WANT TO DIE, SWIRLS?!"

_Great, they're already on the same wavelength_, Nami thought. She stood up and knocked both swordsmen on the head, since they had been about to draw their swords on the cook. "ENOUGH! I'll decide what we call you!"

Both Zoros fell to the ground, large bumps forming on their noggins. Chopper squealed that the older one was still injured, but it went unheard by a furious Nami.

"Nami is by far the strongest," Usopp whispered.

Chopper nodded in fear. "I agree."

The two Zoros sat up, breaking through the pained stupor induced by their navigator.

_Kuina, you were dead wrong when you said girls don't become as strong as boys_, Younger Zoro thought, rubbing his head-lump.

_There's no way she should be able to hit me that hard_, Older Zoro thought, standing back up and reclaiming his seat. _She has got to have Haki_.

"Now!" Nami yelled. She pointed at Younger Zoro, who was also back in his seat. "We'll just keep calling you 'Zoro.'" She pointed at Older Zoro. "As for you, we'll call you 'Roronoa.' Sound good to you?"

Zoro and the newly dubbed Roronoa both agreed. It was better than Sanji and Luffy's suggestions, anyway.

Nami cleared her throat and sat back down. "Hmph. As I was saying... _Roronoa_, you said you were twenty one, right?"

Roronoa nodded. "That's right."

"So that means that if you really are a time traveler, then you're from two years in the future?"

"Give or take a year. It really depends on where we are."

Nami cocked her head. "Eh?"

"Just tell me the most recent thing that's happened to you all," Roronoa said, taking a draft from his tankard. "Considering Vivi's here, it must be a long time ago, but I'm trying to figure out how far back I've gone exactly."

"Well, we left Drum Island two days ago," Vivi offered.

Roronoa spit out his sake- after which he went into a coughing fit because some had managed to slide down the wrong pipe anyway. Luffy pounded his back and the coughs subsided.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Vivi apologized. "Are you alright? Was it something I said?"

"No need to apologize to the Bigger Idiot Mosshead, Vivi dear," Sanji said, patting her shoulder. "He's obviously so stupid that he doesn't know which pipe drinks are supposed to go down."

Zoro and Roronoa gave the cook a scathing glare, the latter's looking even more intimidating with the missing eye. Sanji suddenly felt very uncomfortable and thankfully shut up.

Instead of taking the cook's bait, Roronoa said, "It wasn't you, Vivi. It's just that... you guys seriously left Drum only two days ago?"

"Yeah, after being chased down the Drum Rockies by a homicidal witch doctor," Usopp said with a shiver. "What about it?"

"That's just brilliant," Roronoa muttered. "I knew we were back in Paradise, but this is just ridiculous. After all that effort to get to the New World, we're practically back where we started! The others are just going to _love_ this..."

"The New World?" Nami echoed.

"Oh, right. I guess you guys never heard of it before."

"I've heard of it," Vivi spoke up. "It's what they call the second half of the Grand Line. Most pirate crews die before they make it there, and those who _do_ make it are said to be the best of the best."

"Sounds about right," Roronoa shrugged.

The crew took a moment to let those words sink in.

"The best of the best, huh?" Zoro said. He grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"As do I!" Usopp said proudly. "Of course, with the Great Captain Usopp on board, making it to the New World is the least we can do!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at Usopp's boast, except for Luffy and Chopper of course. Roronoa was once again giving the sniper an annoyed look. Annoyed... with a dash of something that was akin to a reprimand. Usopp felt compelled to ask the swordsman why he kept looking at him like that, but forced the urge down.

"We're the best?" Chopper gasped. His eyes widened. "Does that mean I've found my cure for all diseases?!"

"Well-" Roronoa began.

"Have we come across the All Blue yet?" Sanji found himself asking.

"Sanji!" Nami scolded.

"Sorry, Nami! It slipped out!"

"You said Luffy defeated Crocodile!" Vivi blurted out. "Do I succeed in convincing the rebel army to stop the fighting?"

"Vivi, they-" Roronoa began again.

"Did we ever find Elbaf?" Usopp asked. He gasped and leaned forward on the table. "Has Luffy already become the Pirate King?"

If Roronoa was planning on answering any of their questions, he never got the chance to for Luffy decided to interrupt.

"STOP IT!" Luffy hollered, slamming his hand against the table. "NO ONE ASK HIM ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Everyone fell deathly silent, shocked by their captain's sudden outburst. Except for Zoro, that is. He had a stoic expression on his face, as if waiting to see what Luffy was going to do next. His older self had a similar expression, only his looked more interested.

"Stop asking him stuff like that," Luffy said sternly. "Got it, guys?"

"We got it," Nami said slowly. "But why are you so upset?

"He's upset because if I tell you about all our future adventures, it'll take the fun out of living them for yourselves."

Everyone turned to looked at the future swordsman, who was casually resting his chin in his hand.

Roronoa gave Luffy a knowing smirk. "That would be boring, and you don't want any boring adventures, now do you Captain?"

"You got that right," Luffy confirmed. "I'd quit being a pirate before going on a boring journey."

The older swordsman grinned, for that was the answer he had been expecting. "That's what I thought." Roronoa straightened out and crossed his arms. "Sorry, but if you guys want to know your futures, you'll just have to wait and live them out yourselves."

Everyone looked a little sheepish. They supposed they got a little caught up in the moment there. While they were curious about their futures, and not just in the ways they mentioned, Luffy and Roronoa had a point.

"Sorry, Luffy," Usopp apologized. "We got carried away."

"Yeah, me too," Chopper apologized as well. "I'll wait for my all-purpose cure. I don't mind."

"Good," Luffy said with a serious nod. "Now, bring me more meat."

And thus returned the blunt, one-track-minded idiot for a captain they all knew and loved. Only Monkey D. Luffy could bring such a serious situation back to the topic of meat.

Sanji knocked the rubber boy in the head. "You've had enough already! What we have has to last us until Alabasta you know!"

"Stingy!" Luffy grumbled.

Sanji rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette. After taking a drag, he turned to Roronoa. "Speaking of knowing the future, how come you didn't see this coming?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The chef jerked a thumb at Zoro. "Since you're Zoro from the future, then it stands to reason that you've already experienced all of this. Can you tell us anything about this island?"

"I see where you're coming from, but your logic is flawed," Roronoa replied. "I have no memory of ever meeting an older version of myself when I was nineteen, and I especially don't remember visiting this weird island after leaving Drum."

"That's impossible," Zoro said. "I think I'd remember something like this happening."

"Maybe you're just stupid," Luffy offered sincerely.

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

"It doesn't matter if it's impossible," Roronoa said. "I remember that we never visited any islands after Drum, and didn't even _touch_ dry land until we weighed anchor in Nanohana."

"Nanohana?" Sanji asked.

"It's a city in Alabasta. It should be the first place we visit when we arrive there," Vivi clarified. "We'll get back to the memory problem later. What I don't get is how future Mr. Bushido is even here on this island." She turned to Roronoa. "You said your crew was in the New World, correct?"

"Yeah, we were," the older swordsman replied.

"And we were in the first half of the Grand Line," Nami said. "How can the same island exist in two different places? It doesn't make sense."

"Neither does having a nineteen year old version and a twenty one year old version of your swordsman in the same room, but here we are," Zoro pointed out.

"Exactly! I'm still trying to figure that out, on top the whole sunset-at-noon issue!"

Roronoa frowned at Nami's words. What was it that brat said?

"Time does whatever it wants here," he whispered to himself. Everyone heard it anyway.

"What does that mean?" Usopp asked.

"I don't really know myself," Roronoa admitted. "Remember when I said after one of my crewmates got himself lost, I went looking for him and had to duel some creepy witch? Well, right before that, I met this little brat who kept swinging around in the trees. And she said that on this island, time pretty much does whatever it wants."

"So there _are_ people living here?" Chopper gasped.

"I saw just the one kid, but she seemed to know enough about this place to be local. She left before I got any real answers though."

"If this kid knows something we don't, maybe we should try to find her," Zoro suggested. "She might have the answers to why Roronoa's here or why the sunset is so freaky."

"Not to mention why all that fruit was ripe at the same time," Sanji added. "I don't know this kid, but she's right about time doing what it wants. It's not following what standards we consider normal."

"Then it's settled!" Luffy decided. "We'll go out and find this mystery kid, then make her tell us about the mystery island!"

"Luffy, it's dark out," Chopper pointed out. "We'd never be able to find her in the jungle at night."

Luffy crossed his arms. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Yosh! Then we'll find her at sunrise!"

"Sounds like a plan, Luffy. Now, Mr. Bushido, can you tell us how you arrived at this island?" Vivi asked the elder swordsman. "It might help us get an idea as to what's going on."

Roronoa scratched his head. "Let's see... we left Dock Island the other day and were basically just following the pose. I remember being asleep-"

"Of course you were," Sanji interrupted.

"Shut up. As I was saying, I remember being asleep until I heard Nami screeching at me to get up and help deflect cannonballs. Apparently, a ship of bounty hunters showed up and started firing at us. While we were trying to escape, the ship got caught in a current that was pulling us toward an island covered in fog."

"That's what happened to us!" Luffy said. "The Merry got caught in a mystery current and that's why we're here! Was your log pose not pointing at it either?"

Roronoa looked a little surprised by the question. "Um, yeah. At least, that's what Nami was saying while yelling at us to pick up the pace. She kept shrieking that the island just appeared out of nowhere, and none of the log pose needles were pointing to it-"

"Needles? Plural?" Nami asked.

"We have to use a different log pose in the New World," he explained. "I don't know the specific details, but the log pose has three needles to help navigate the many different islands there. Each needle points to a different island, I guess."

Zoro, Usopp, and Nami remembered Luffy's idea about the triple pose earlier that day. He had been _right_?

"Hey, we found something like that on the beach today," Luffy remembered. "I accidentally kicked it into Nami's head. Nami, show him."

Nami reached into her pocket and pulled out the triple pose. "Like Luffy said, we found it on the beach. I've been comparing it to my pose, and all the needles keep spinning. I've been trying to theorize why and it's almost as if-"

Roronoa didn't wait for her to finish. He snatched the triple pose, or rather the New World Log Pose, right out of her hands. Nami protested, but he ignored her, instead examining the pose that was now in his hands.

"Oi, Bigger Idiot Mosshead, what was that for?" Sanji shouted. "Apologize to Nami, right now!"

Roronoa didn't apologize. He frowned and said (mostly to himself), "She would never just drop this. She never lets it out of her sight..."

"Who would never drop it?" Vivi asked. "Mr. Bushido, what's wrong?"

This New World Log Pose wasn't just any New World Log Pose, Roronoa could see that much. And he knew its owner wouldn't have left it lying on the beach unless something was very, very wrong.

Roronoa stuffed the pose into his haramaki and stood up. Without so much as another word, he walked out of the galley, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"These guys are _New World_ bounty hunters," Roronoa snapped. "You guys are not ready for that kind of enemy yet!"

"Come on, how tough can they be?" Sanji said. "We've kicked the asses of the biggest names in the East Blue and have managed to survive the Grand Line so far. Maybe these bounty hunters are a challenge to a cyclops like you, but we can handle ourselves."

"CYCLOPS-?" Roronoa began to yell and draw his black sword, but he stopped and rubbed his temple. "Okay, you know what? Forget it. I'm not wasting my time fighting someone weaker than me."

"WEAKER?!"


	6. Two Years Make All the Difference

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or it's characters. I only own my OCs.**

**So, two chapters in two days! That has got to be some kind of record. Of course, this means I might not update for awhile. I have a lot on my plate in the coming weeks. But I will be back! **

**If you all like how I write One Piece, be sure to check out my other stories: "Once Burned," "Questionable Conscience," and "A Short Dedication to Fire Fist Ace."**

**Oh, and if you've all been wondering how the 3D2Y Straw Hats arrived on K**āla, just wait. It will be elaborated on later in the story, no worries. ********  
><strong>**

****And, to be clear: ********Past Zoro- Zoro. Future Zoro- Roronoa.****

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 5: Two Years Make All the Difference<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Night in the Afternoon<br>****Location: Undisclosed Area of Jungle on Kāla**

"Where'd she go?"

"She was right there, I swear!"

"Find her! She's worth a lot of berris, so we can't afford to let her go!"

"Yeah, the boss will reward us for sure if we bring her _and_ the treasure in!"

She remained high in the tree branches, waiting for her pursuers to leave. It was troublesome that the bounty hunters had followed them on to the island, but she had years of practice evading capture. Giving a group of expendable lackeys the slip was child's play at best.

As she waited for the men to stop their search, she turned her attention to the matter at hand. She had to admit, the sudden nightfall was peculiar. It was the second one in the last twelve hours or so, and both times, the phase of the moon had been different. First a waning gibbous, then a waxing crescent. It was strange, going from day to night to day to night again.

In fact, the island was strange as a whole, but that wasn't going to stop her. During her escape from the bounty hunters, she had heard an interesting tidbit of information while hiding behind a giant tree root. (She liked these trees. They reminded her of the ones on Skypeia.) The lackeys spoke of finding a treasure, and had called this island "Kāla." If this truly was the legendary island of Kāla, then there had to be some ruins somewhere. She could only imagine what she could learn here, given the chance. She might even be able to move forward in completing her dream, so she had to at least try.

She could only hope, of course, that none of her friends had gotten themselves captured by bounty hunters or eaten by one of the freshwater Sea Kings. That would be unfortunate. They were probably fine, though.

"Hey, there she is!"

"She's up in that tree!"

Oh, they had spotted her. She had been hoping to avoid a confrontation, but it looked like they weren't giving her a choice. Now, if only the bounty hunters would stop being so noisy. They were going to alert others of her position this way. She would have to remedy that.

"_Clutch._"

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Night in the Afternoon<br>****Location: The Going Merry**

"Zoro-ossan, wait up!" Luffy said, coming out of the galley door. "Where are you going?"

The rest of the crew followed their captain out on to the deck as well. It was still night out, and the stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Roronoa was already halfway across the deck, heading directly for the railing. Luckily, he stopped his stride and turned to face the Straw Hats.

"I've wasted enough time here," he replied, resting one hand on his swords. "Thanks for the food, but I really should be on my way."

"Y-You're leaving?" Choppered stuttered. "You can't leave yet! Your shoulder-"

"-Is not that big a deal," Roronoa finished for the reindeer. "I'll have my crew's Chopper look at it when I find him, okay? See ya."

"What do you mean, 'when you find him'?" Luffy asked, crossing his arms. "Don't you know where your crew is?"

Roronoa had been in the process of turning to leave again, but halted. He sighed. "No, I don't. We all split up to explore the island, except for the one crewmate who stayed behind to watch the ship. I went with someone, but he got lost. I need to go and find them now. I know they can usually handle themselves, but this time..."

"Does it have anything to do with that triple pose?" Vivi asked. "You looked really grim when you saw it."

Roronoa reached into his haramaki and removed the New World Log Pose, holding it up so everyone could see it.

"You see this?" he asked. They all nodded. "Good. It belongs to Nami."

"Yeah, you ripped it right out of her hands," Sanji said, sounding angry. Mosshead never did apologize.

"Not_ that_ Nami!" Roronoa shouted, pointing at Nami. "I meant _my_ Nami!"

A look of sheer horror spread across Nami and Zoro's faces, and Sanji looked ready to faint dead away. Roronoa then realized how weird that had probably sounded. They didn't seriously think that...?

"You numbskulls, I don't mean _my_ as in-!" He groaned. "I meant_ my crew's_ Nami! As in the one that's twenty, not eighteen! We're not- we would never- _geez_!"

Zoro, Nami, and Sanji visibly relaxed. Luffy laughed, though he probably didn't even get what the problem had been.

"Thank heavens," Usopp said, wiping his brow in relief. "Can you imagine how awkward that would have been?"

"I don't get it," Chopper said, confused.

Usopp patted his head. "It's a human thing."

"Ahem!" Vivi cleared her throat. "Now that that's cleared up, you were saying, Mr. Bushido? The triple pose belongs to future Nami?"

Roronoa regained his composure and nodded. "Yeah, it's the one she uses to navigate the New World. She never lets this thing out of her sight." He turned to his young captain. "And you said you found it lying in the sand?"

"Yeah, it was buried under the beach," Luffy replied. "It's weird that Nami would just drop her log pose. Is she really forgetful in the future?"

"You dummy," Nami sighed. "I would never just _drop_ my log pose."

"Exactly," Roronoa said. He tucked the log pose back into his haramaki. "You wouldn't have lost this unless something happened to you. I did tell you bounty hunters were following us when my crew came here, and I don't need to be a genius to know they have something to do with it."

"Was one of these bounty hunters the one you fought in the jungle? You keep bringing up a witch or something," Sanji said. He thought for a moment. "Was she pretty?"

"Think with your head for once, cook," Roronoa said flatly. "How should I know if she was pretty? I was a little busy trying to keep from being _decapitated_ to pay attention to something like that. I can tell you she was a swordsman, and a good one."

"You lost to a_ girl_?" Usopp snickered.

That earned him a dirty look from Vivi and Nami, so he stopped snickering.

"I didn't lose!" Zoro snapped. He paused. "I mean, _he_ didn't lose! He said some other hunter showed up and hit him with the tranqs. Right?"

"Right," the older swordsman confirmed. "I was winning that fight until he showed up. And don't underestimate a girl, Usopp. They can kick your rear just as easily as any man. But I digress. The point is that these people were nothing to sneeze at. The witch was fast enough to keep me on my toes, not to mention she had a real pain of a devil fruit ability. Literally. And the red-eyed freak with the tranqs was clearly an experienced sniper. If there are more like them on this island, I have a feeling my crew is in for a rough time of it."

"So you want to find them and see if they're alright," Nami summarized.

"In a nutshell. I have faith in my crew's abilities, but this island is not natural. Anything can happen here." A slightly evil looking grin came on his face. "Besides, I owe that witch and red-eyed freak a rematch. It'd be rude not finish our fight, don't you think?"

_That moron!_ Nami thought._ All he's interested in is fighting strong enemies_!

"I see your problem. You're missing your crew, and need to find them," Luffy said thoughtfully. He nodded. "Okay then. We'll help you!"

"No thanks," Roronoa said immediately.

A stunned silence hit the Straw Hats.

"Uh... don't you want to think about it?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah, we can help you look, we don't mind!" Chopper said. What he didn't say aloud was that he was curious in meeting his older self.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't need help," Roronoa said. He turned to leave. "It's best you all stay on the Merry."

"Come on, Zoro-ossan! I want to find our crewmates too!" Luffy said. "We'll get to explore the mystery island and fight bounty hunters together! It'll be fun!"

Roronoa turned on his heel and glared at the rubber boy. "Luffy, I don't mind if you're laid back most of the time, but I need you take this seriously! This isn't a game! You know these kind of people can and_ will_ kill you, if given the chance!"

"So it's okay for you to risk _your_ life, but not us?" Vivi asked.

He gave her a look. "As if you're one to talk, princess."

Vivi flinched, but didn't retort. What did he mean by that?

"Guys, maybe he's right," Usopp said nervously. "These bounty hunters sound really, really dangerous. It might be better for us if we remain here on the Merry."

"It's okay, Usopp. We're strong," Luffy said, flexing his arm and grasping it to emphasize. "I think we can take them."

"I'm with Luffy," Zoro agreed. He flicked one of his swords loose with his thumb. "These bounty hunters sound like they'd be interesting to battle. I want to see how strong they are for myself."

"And I'm interested in seeing the lovely lady who gave Future Mosshead a run for his money," Sanji added.

Roronoa felt like tearing his hair out. How could they be so _dense_? This situation was potentially lethal, and all they cared about was _fighting_?

... Holy crap, he was turning into Nami if he was starting to think like that.

"Look, you can't come and that's final!" Roronoa declared. "I'm perfectly capable of finding my friends alone!"

"Says the man who got lost finding his way back to my village," Nami huffed.

"That wasn't my fault! They kept moving the place!"

"You can't _move_ a village! You'd think in two years you'd gain some sort of sense of direction."

"CAN IT, SEA-WITCH!"

"Don't talk to Nami-swan like that, sword freak!" Sanji barked.

Roronoa ignored him. His behavior was making the crew very confused. Why was he so adamant against them helping him? Didn't he remember all the enemies they defeated before? They could fight a group of bounty hunters. Why was he being so stubborn?

"Zoro-ossan, just let us come," Luffy insisted. "Past or future, they're still my friends and I want to find them just as much as you do. I'm willing to fight a few bounty hunters to do that. Besides, your shoulder is still busted and Chopper said you can't strain yourself. You could use the help."

Roronoa rubbed the shoulder in question. "I get that. You just don't understand. These hunters..."

"Understand what?" Chopper asked. "What's bad about these bounty hunters?"

"These guys are _New World_ bounty hunters!" Roronoa snapped. "You all aren't ready for that kind of enemy yet!"

Chopper went to hide behind Luffy. Roronoa was scary when he yelled.

"Come on, how tough can they be?" Sanji said, exhaling some smoke. "We've kicked the asses of the biggest names in the East Blue and have managed to survive the Grand Line so far. Maybe these bounty hunters are a challenge to a cyclops like you, but we can handle ourselves."

"CYCLOPS-?!" Roronoa began to yell and draw his black sword, but he stopped and rubbed his temple. "Okay, you know what? Forget it. I'm not wasting my time fighting someone weaker than me."

"WEAKER?!"

"Is that the problem? You think we're too_ weak_?" Zoro asked. He knew ever since that incident with the wax he had to get stronger, but being called weak by someone who was basically your _older self_...

"I don't _think_, I _know_," Roronoa corrected. "I'm completely aware of how strong I was before arriving in Alabasta." There was an icy look in his eye. "You'd last ten minutes in the New World, _if_ you were lucky."

Zoro began to unsheathe Wado. "Care to test that theory?"

Roronoa frowned and crossed his arms. "Didn't I just say I wasn't going to fight someone weaker than me?"

While this exchange occurred between the two swordsmen, Sanji had begun to edge his way on to Roronoa's blind side. So he was weak, huh? Well, how would the Bigger Idiot Mosshead like a kick right to the blind half of his face? Yes, it would be a dirty move on his part, but Sanji was seriously annoyed. He wasn't about to let the older sword freak get away with calling him weak.

"Hold on, Zoro, you can't fight yourself!" Usopp shouted.

"Yeah, do have any idea how stupid that sounds?" Nami added.

"Don't fight_ period_!" Chopper squealed. "Roronoa's going to pull his stitches again!"

Luffy said nothing, instead watching his swordsman challenge the future version.

"I'd listen to your friends if I were you," Roronoa said.

"You _are_ me," Zoro pointed out. Roronoa's attitude was getting on his nerves. And somehow, it was oddly familiar...

"In that case, you should be able to recall the last time you underestimated an opponent," Roronoa said. His hand went to his chest. "If_ I_ recall correctly, I almost got cleaved in two."

Zoro didn't respond to that, except gritting his teeth.

Roronoa narrowed his eye. "If you were a competent swordsman, you'd be able to see the difference in power between us."

Zoro slowly slid Wado back into its sheathe. That last sentence was a revelation as to why Roronoa's attitude was familiar; he was acting exactly like Mihawk had back at the Baratie! And like before, every word was pissing him off.

"Zoro-ossan, I don't doubt you can battle these guys by yourself, but that doesn't matter," Luffy spoke up, stepping in front of Zoro. He grinned. "We're going to help you find your crew and take out the bounty hunters, whether you like it or not. So I guess you'll just have to deal with it."

Sanji was in position. He lifted his leg...

"Luffy, this isn't like storming Arlong Park or taking out Don Krieg!" Roronoa shouted. "In those cases, you had at least a vague idea of what you were up against in terms of power. These people will be on a whole other level than you. The New World isn't the East Blue, and it isn't the beginning of the Grand Line either. There's a reason no one's been able to conquer it since Gol D. Roger! You have to be crazy strong to sail there, or you'll die! It's no place for a group of_ overconfident rookies_!"

Sanji's leg shot forward, his kick aimed directly for Roronoa's face. However, it never made contact. Roronoa easily caught the cook's foot in his hand before it could.

"What the_ hell_?!" Sanji shouted.

"Sanji, what are you doing?!" Vivi scolded him.

"HE CAUGHT IT?!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed.

Carue (who had been next to Vivi the entire time) quacked in surprise at well.

"He wasn't even looking!" Nami shouted.

Luffy's eyes widened.

_That came at him from his blind side_, Zoro thought, looking somewhere between shock and awe. _But I saw his hand. It was up before the cook even finished kicking his leg out. Did he... did he somehow know it was coming before it came? My senses are good, but to predict an attack before it's made..._

Sanji pulled his foot free and took a few steps back. "How did you-?"

Roronoa smirked. "What? Don't tell me you seriously thought I wouldn't have figured out a way to compensate for a blind eye. I don't remember you being_ that_ ignorant, Dartboard."

Sanji scowled, then pivoted one foot into the deck while kicking out the other one towards Roronoa's chest. "_Poitrine_!"

Roronoa rolled his eye and calmly stepped out of the way of the kick.

Sanji's visible eye widened. He tried again, dropping down to a one-hand handstand. "_Côtelette!"  
><em>

This time the kick was aimed for his ribs, but Roronoa avoided it, moving only moments before Sanji even attacked. Normally, Sanji would have followed that up with a _Selle_, but the fact that the previous attack didn't make contact meant he didn't have the momentum for it. The cook jumped to his feet and began a series of rapid fire kicks. Roronoa didn't dodge, this time just blocking the kicks with his still-sheathed black sword as they came. To add insult to injury, he did it with only one hand, barely moving at all.

Sanji was getting aggravated. How was this possible? It was almost as if Roronoa knew where the kicks would land before he even landed them. Zoro had always been decent at guarding against his attacks, but never at this level. It was evident by the bored expression on Roronoa's face that the swordsman was barely trying, while Sanji was already getting out of breath.

Sanji tried one last kick, aimed at the older swordsman's face. Roronoa not only avoided it, but he stepped forward and was practically nose-to-nose with the blonde. Before Sanji had a chance to react, Roronoa partially unsheathed his black sword, ramming the hilt right into Sanji's gut. The cook went flying into the mast, hung comically there for a few seconds, then slid to the deck.

"Sanji!" Chopper yelled worriedly. He rushed over to his crewmate's side.

Nobody else moved, only staring at the scene before them. Zoro and Sanji fought all the time, but neither of them ever actually _won_ against each other. Those skirmishes always ended in a draw. Roronoa, however, _had_ won. To bring a duel to a tie, Zoro had to fight on par with Sanji. Roronoa had won by barely even_ trying_.

Zoro's face managed to remain stoic in appearance, but if you really knew him, you'd be able to see that he was on the verge of a major-freak out. How was he able to_ do_ all that just _two years_ later?

"Do you get the idea now?" Roronoa asked, sliding his sword back into his sash. He gestured to Sanji. "The love cook is usually able to at least keep up with my younger self, and I just curb-stomped him."

"You did _not_ curb-stomp me, you-!" Sanji started to argue, before going into a coughing fit. Roronoa's last attack had knocked the wind out of him.

"Stop talking and let me check you over!" Chopper scolded him. "I need to see if you hurt your back again!"

"I've trained to take on the New World," Roronoa went on, again ignoring Sanji. "If the cook can't even _keep up_ with me anymore, what does that say about your chances with bounty hunters who have most likely been there longer than I have?"

There was no immediate reply. The crew probably didn't know what to say.

"Uh, Luffy?" Nami said at last. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should listen to Roronoa. Zoro's strong as it is, but..."

"This guy wasn't even trying!" Usopp yelled panickedly, waving his arm rapidly at Roronoa. "What does that say about other people from the New World?!"

They couldn't see Luffy's expression, for his face was shadowed by his hat. The others didn't know it, but Luffy didn't really care about the beating Sanji just received. Sure, the way Roronoa caught his foot before was cool. However, his mind was too busy repeating the words Roronoa had said before to really appreciate it.

_It's no place for a group of overconfident rookies_!

Or more accurately, the_ way_ he said those words. He'd obviously been trying to hide it, but he had sounded... _worried_, like he was dreading what would happen if his crew came along. Roronoa may have been from the future, but he was still Zoro. Zoro had only ever sounded like that once before, back when he'd been sure his captain was about to die. Luffy didn't like that Roronoa sounded like that. Not one bit.

"Luffy...?" Vivi asked quietly.

"Zoro-ossan," Luffy said finally. "You're from the future, but I'm still your captain, aren't I?"

Roronoa's expression softened slightly. "Of course you are."

Luffy lifted his head, revealing he was smiling. "Then this is a captain's order. You _have_ to let us come with you and find your crew. No arguing."

Roronoa's eye widened to almost comical size. Luffy was pulling the _captain card_ on him? _Seriously_? Not only was it a low blow, but it was the one card in Luffy's limited psychological deck he had no counter for. A captain's orders were absolute, past or present.

"You're trying to make this hard for me on purpose, aren't you?" Roronoa sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Luffy crossed his arms, still smiling. "It doesn't have to be hard. All you have to do is agree."

Roronoa threw his arms in the air, exasperated. "Okay, _fine_! You all can come, but on one condition. Will you let me have that much?"

"Sure! What's your condition?"

"You can't fight anyone unless I either say it's okay, or you _absolutely_ _have to_." He held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Luffy hesitated, shifting his gaze between the hand and Roronoa's face. Finally, he grasped his first crewmate's hand in a firm grip.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>Vivi yawned, making her way from the girl's room to the galley. It was still technically the afternoon, but she was as tired as she would be at night.<p>

Not surprising, really. The day had been exhausting as a whole. First getting dragged to this island, then finding Roronoa on said island, and everything that had occurred after their dinner-for-lunch.

Once the deal between Luffy and Roronoa had been struck, Tony announced that Sanji's back was fine except for a slight bruising, and Roronoa hadn't pulled any stitches loose. Sanji, naturally, tried to avenge his humiliating defeat. Only instead of attacking Roronoa, he planted a kick straight into Mr. Bushido's stomach. The crew left those two to work out their differences themselves, and returned to the galley to finish their now cold food. Most of it ended up going to Luffy. Afterwards, Roronoa had wanted to start the search for his crew right away, but Nami pointed out Tony's earlier observation of it being too dark. They would never find anyone in the jungle at night. It took a little talking down and threats of raising his debt, but the elder swordsman eventually agreed to it. By that point, everyone was both mentally and physically exhausted, so it was unanimously agreed that they would go to bed and start their search the next time the sun rose. Whenever that would be, anyway. With this island, who could tell?

Nami and Carue conked out almost right away, but Vivi was having a harder time with it. She was very tired, but her body knew it was still the afternoon and refused to fall asleep. She ended up deciding to head down to the galley and have a cup of the tea Sanji had brewed before going to bed himself (his fight with Mr. Bushido ended in a draw, of course, though both had been fighting harder than usual). Maybe it would help her sleep.

She climbed up the ladder leading up to the deck and pushed the trapdoor open. Sure enough, it was still night out. She sighed, pulled herself up onto the deck, and started making her way to the galley.

"What are you still doing up?"

Vivi jumped about a foot at the sudden deep voice. She turned to see Roronoa lying against the railing, arms behind his head.

"I could ask the same of you, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi panted, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. "I thought you went to sleep in the boys' room hours ago!"

Roronoa shrugged. "Couldn't fall asleep, so I came up here."

Vivi raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You, _Roronoa Zoro_, couldn't fall asleep."

"So you_ do_ know how to say my name," he said with a slightly derisive smirk. It quickly faded and he shrugged again. "It's too quiet around here. You'd be surprised by the gap three missing voices leave."

Vivi blinked, confused. "Missing voices...?"

"Never mind," he sighed. "Forget I said anything. So what about you? What are you doing on deck?"

"I couldn't sleep either," she admitted.

"I'm not surprised. It's technically only 3 in the afternoon."

"Yes, I know. I figured I'd go get myself a cup of tea. Do you want one too?"

"Nah, I'm good. Hope it helps."

"Thank you."

She moved on ahead and was about to open the galley door, when she stopped. A question had been nagging at the back of her mind for hours now, and since Roronoa was just sitting there all alone, now would be a perfect time to ask. She slowly walked back over to him, and saw his eye was now closed.

"Mr. Bushido?" she said softly.

Roronoa's eye cracked open. "Hmm?"

She put her hands behind her back. "Remember earlier, when I asked why we couldn't also risk our lives if you were going to?"

He lowered his arms and sat up a little straighter. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, I was just wondering what you meant when you said I shouldn't be one to talk."

Roronoa gazed up at her for a long time, before exhaling through his nose and leaning back again.

"You're too self-sacrificing, Vivi," he said, closing his eye. "But then again, I guess I'm not one to talk either."

Vivi crossed her arms. "You're not going to give me a straight answer, are you?"

"Nope."

"Jerk."

"Completely nice guys don't become pirates. Given you were a bounty hunter for two years, one would think you knew that already."

Vivi frowned, but decided not to push it. The fact he wasn't giving her a straight answer meant that it fell under the category of "The Future," and Luffy had ordered them not to ask about that anymore.

"Alright," she sighed. "Thanks anyway. Good night."

"Night."

Vivi entered the galley and closed the door quietly behind her. Once she was gone, Roronoa opened his eye and stood up. He walked over to the mast and looked up.

"You coming down," he called up to the crow's nest, "or are you going to stay up there acting like you haven't been listening in all night?"

A minute later, the crow's nest's occupant jumped down to the deck. It was none other than Zoro.

"When did you figure out I was up there?" the younger swordsman asked, standing up straight.

"I knew from the moment I came on deck," Roronoa replied. "Care to explain why you were spying on me?"

"You're me; _you_ tell _me_ why."

"... You don't trust me."

It wasn't a question. It was a solid fact and both swordsmen knew it.

"You got that right," Zoro said with a scowl. "I know you're hiding something from us, and it's not a future adventure or whatever. Don't think I haven't noticed all the looks you've been giving Luffy."

Roronoa didn't reply.

"So, care to tell _me_ why _you_ keep glancing at Luffy with such a guilty look in your eye?" Zoro asked, his tone venomous.

Roronoa's hand slipped down to his Wado Ichimonji. Not in a threatening way, but more in a "just making sure it's there" way. Zoro recognized the gesture. He did the exact same thing when he was either thinking of Kuina...

... Or thinking about his promise to Luffy.

"When we were in the fog, we heard voices," Zoro continued. "Voices of people we knew, people we didn't know, and our own. I heard my voice say I couldn't protect my captain. Does that have anything to do with it? What exactly about my crew's future _do you represent_?"

The elder swordsman's gaze grew steely as he looked sharply down at his younger counterpart (Roronoa was a good inch or two taller). Zoro's mouth suddenly felt dry. The air around them felt thick and heavy.

"Don't make assumptions about events you know nothing about, brat," Roronoa said coldly.

Roronoa turned on his heel and stepped away from the younger swordsman. He then started climbing up to the crow's nest. About halfway up, he looked back down at Zoro.

"Once I find my crew, you never have to worry about me again. Or for the next two years, at least. Now get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

Roronoa climbed into the crow's nest, leaving Zoro standing there. The younger swordsman did eventually go to bed, but he didn't get much sleep. He couldn't get his older self's steel gaze out of his mind.

It was the gaze of a man who had been cracked in several places and welded back together. A man who had not quite been broken, but came pretty close. And that alone shook Zoro down to his very core.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_The paper kept getting farther and farther. Luffy reached out for it... then he suddenly felt a strong heat come straight for him. He looked up to what looked like a fist, only it was gloppy and burning. Whatever it was, Luffy didn't have to be a genius to know that if it hit him, it was going to hurt._

_Then out of nowhere, the fist stopped. Red beads scattered..._

_...and fire and blood were the only things Luffy could see._


	7. Operation SAVE THE FUTURE

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, Binks' Sake, or its affiliated characters/songs.**

**Get ready, ya'll. This is gonna be a long one, t****hough I doubt you'll be complaining. However I hope you appreciate that this turned out to be one of those chapters you rewrite 30 times before you're even half-way satisfied with it. This went through a million edits. **

**Note: I did not come up with the idea of the Nerve Nerve Fruit! I based this version loosely off a version I read in another fanfic. They'll be similar, but still very different.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 6: Operation SAVE THE FUTURE and Other Machinations<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Time: Daybreak at Night<strong>  
><strong>**Location: Undisclosed Part of Kāla**

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Bodies. Bodies were scattered everywhere in this section of the jungle. Some were dead; most were not. But all had their spines bent at impossible angles.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Erity shouted, tugging at her hair. "What the heck wiped out Delta Unit?!"

No one made an effort to answer her though. Yari just adjusted the position of her parasol while Runo poked one of the dead bodies with a stick. Gamma Unit stood back, watching the scene with a careful eye.

Erity knelt down next to one of the live ones. "Tell me who did this to you. _Now_."

The man choked. It was difficult to breathe, let alone speak. "I... don't... know. Extra arms... from our... bodies... appeared out of... nowhere."

Erity frowned. Extra arms?

"That would be the Demon of Ohara," Yari clarified, as if reading Erity's mind. "I heard she has the abilities of the Flower Flower Fruit. It is very useful for incapacitating many enemies at once." She grinned eerily. "I have seen her wanted poster. She would make a lovely doll."

"Oh, come off it!" Erity snapped. "We don't have time to indulge in your sick interests! Can't you see this is a problem? We just lost about 35 of our men!"

Erity knew who the so-called Demon of Ohara, Nico Robin, was. While it was an interesting development, she didn't appreciate having a good chunk of her men twisted up like pretzels.

"Then they were weak," Runo said, standing up and tossing his stick aside. "Someone else would have tore them a new one eventually if the Devil Child hadn't gotten to them first. It's for the best though; we have no use for toys that can't play rough."

Erity put her hands on her hips. "You guys and your obsessions with dolls and toys. What, did kids not play with you two much when you were young?"

Runo and Yari were immediately on their knees, an aura of depression hanging over their heads.

"How did she_ know_ that?" they said together.

_Idiots_, Erity thought with a sweatdrop.

"Enough of this crap!" a member of Gamma Unit yelled. "We've had it!"

Erity turned to look at the speaker. It was one of the newer members of the unit. (In fact, Gamma Unit was almost entirely made of up of mostly new people. They had only been sailing with the boss for about a week.) Rico, she believed his name was.

"We've been searching for this treasure for more than eight hours!" Rico went on. "And so far, we've found absolutely nothing!"

"Well, maybe we would've made more progress," Erity ground out. She glared at Runo and Yari. "If_ some people_ hadn't gotten caught by giant venus flytraps _thirteen times_!"

"Oi, it wasn't thirteen times!" Runo protested, jumping to his feet. He crossed his arms. "It was _twelve_ times. We got out of the way with the last one."

"Shut up!" Rico snarled. "I'm sick of listening to you three argue, and I'm sick of watching you get owned by some coward sniper with freaky ammunition! We're done taking orders from you, and we're done searching for some stupid treasure that probably doesn't even exist!"

Behind Rico, the members of Gamma Unit were all holding up their weapons and sharing identical smug smirks.

Yari stood up and said in a bored tone, "Please do not tell me that after all this time, you are just_ now_ deciding to mutiny."

"They weren't with us for _that_ long," Erity said. "However, I'm with you on the irregularity of this. If he wanted a mutiny, he should've done it after a few _years_, so we'd trust him more and never see it coming."

"Speak for yourself," Runo said with a snort. "I wouldn't want spend time with you lot any longer than I have to, never mind for another few years."

Yari nodded. "I second that emotion."

Erity crossed her arms. "Then we've reached a consensus."

Rico held out his sword, irritated that they weren't paying attention to him. "You think we're not serious? Just you wait- we'll kill the three of you and then go after the Straw Hats! Their bounties will keep us set for life."

Runo grinned ferally and stuck his hands on his hips. "I don't recall the boss hiring so many ignorant fools into his little troupe. Looks like some reeducation is in order."

"Erity, do you mind if we handle this?" Yari said, closing her parasol. "I have not have a good fight since Vaughan interrupted my duel with the Pirate Hunter."

Erity waved her hand. "Be my guest. Just make it quick... and try_ not_ to kill anyone."

"We guarantee nothing."

Rico gave a loud battle cry, charging directly at Yari. He wasn't going to be dismissed so casually! He would show them he meant business!

Yari just stood calmly.

"_Nerf Coupé..._" Yari muttered, holding her parasol upside down.

She lept forward, planting her palm on Rico's face then vaulting herself into the air by springing off his head.

"_...Fleuve Douloureuse!_"

It happened so quickly, anyone who didn't have Haki wouldn't have been able to see it. Rico stopped charging, and now just stood there with his sword. Yari was back on the ground, brandishing her _shikomizue_ sword- which she had drawn from its hidden spot in her parasol- out in front of her.

A small cut appeared on Rico's shoulder. It wasn't deep, and it barely bled at all. However, it caused Rico's eyes to widen to impossible size, and he began to scream. It was a scream filled with hurt and agony, as if Yari had cut the entire arm off instead of just nicking the shoulder. He collapsed, writhing on the ground as he clutched his shoulder. He screamed until he fell silent, either unconscious or dead.

"Rico!" a member of Gamma Unit shouted. "What's wrong? A little cut like that shouldn't hurt so much!"

"You witch!" another shouted. "What did you do to Rico?!"

"I just increased the sensitivity of his nociceptors," Yari replied, flicking the drops of blood off her sword. She gave the unit a smug smirk of her own. "That is the power of my Nerve Nerve Fruit."

The mutineers blanched. Being so new to the bounty hunter crew, they had yet to learn of whatever abilities the boss's top lieutenants had. This was the first time they had seen Yari use her sword and her devil fruit powers. It was no secret that devil fruit users from the New World were a breed all their own, so this wasn't going to be easy. That wasn't going to stop them from completing Rico's mission though. The unit charged, weapons armed and ready. They were going to avenge their leader at any cost.

They might've done so too, if Runo hadn't gotten in the way.

Runo cackled wildly, jumping between the 40 or so members of Gamma Unit and Yari. He moved like a beast, kicking, clawing, and scratching everyone who got close. He twisted his torso around nearly 180 degrees to smack away a gun. His hooked his leg over his _own_ shoulder to perform a double spinning flip and kick two guys in the face at once. He picked up two guns and fired behind him by bending his arms unnaturally far back.

Some of the mutineers stared on in horror. What was this guy, part jellyfish? It was as if he had no bones!

"What is with this guy?" one asked.

"Is it a Devil Fruit ability?" another asked.

"I did eat a Devil Fruit," Runo admitted. "But it's not the reason I'm like this. You see-"

"He is triple-jointed," Yari interrupted.

Runo's head slumped forward. The depressed aura was back. "Don't steal my thunder, Yari."

Yari rolled her eyes. "Shut up and fight, Runo."

From that point on, Yari and Runo fought together. Runo mostly used whatever weapons the defeated dropped, as well as some strange fighting style they couldn't identify. Yari cut down whoever came across her path, her sword moving with great speed. She usually made only superficial cuts, but those cuts caused her victims to scream from sheer agony. The two were fast, efficient, and deadly.

No wonder they had come "highly recommended." It wasn't long before only ten mutineers remained standing. Barely standing, but standing nonetheless.

"Wanna surrender now?!" Erity called out from the top of the large tree root she had been hiding on.

"Never!" one of the remaining ten shouted back.

"That doesn't work for me," Erity sighed. "I'd tell Runo and Yari to just knock you out, tie you to a tree, and leave you to the jungle's mercy, but we still have need of your services. Looks like we're going with option B."

"Yes!" Runo cheered. "I love option B!"

With that declaration, Erity and Yari averted their eyes from Runo. The mutineers looked on in confusion. What were they doing?

Runo stood up straight, snapped his fingers, and then began some sort of strange dance that utilized a lot of sudden movements. Immediately, the air around him seemed to shimmer, and his eyes flashed a whole rainbow of colors every few seconds. The colors then started to expand, surrounding his body and mingling with the hazy air. The ten remaining Gammas wanted to look away, but found they couldn't. The colors, the dance, the shimmery air... it was so amazing to watch.

"Hypno Hypno..." Runo said in a soft, purring tone. He stopped dancing, his arms crossed over his head. "..._Trance_."

The mutineers dropped their weapons. Their faces looked dazed, and their eyes were glassy.

"Here are your orders: Do whatever I say, when I say it. Got it?"

"Yes, Master Runo," the now entranced mutineers replied in unison.

Runo grinned. "Good. Your first orders is to clean up here. The unconscious and dead bodies draw attention away from the natural flora, wouldn't you say?"

The mutineers nodded in unison and began to do just that. Meanwhile, now that the show was over, Erity and Yari could look at Runo without fear of being affected.

Erity jumped down from the giant tree root. "That's the power of the Hypno Hypno Fruit, huh? I've never actually been around you while you did that. As if you weren't creepy enough."

Runo shrugged and walked over to join the girls. "It's a power that works, and it makes it easy to get new toys, at least."

Erity never liked how Runo referred to his victims as 'toys.' She may have been a ruthless bounty hunter (when the situation required it), but even she had some standards. What Runo did was one step shy of slavery. The only difference between being hypnotized and being enslaved was with the former, you didn't actually realize you_ were_ a slave. It was twisted and wrong, but the boss never asked Runo to stop, so he kept right on doing it on the condition he undid the trance if an assignment went longer than a week. (It usually took that long for Runo to grow bored with his toys anyway).

Then again, it was preferable compared to what Yari did to create her "dolls." That _had_ to constitute as torture.

"Seeing as the present crisis has passed, I would like to bring up the issue of the rest of Straw Hats," Yari said, sheathing her sword and opening up the once-again whole parasol. "Rico was a fool, but he had a point. It was ridiculous how we kept falling for the sniper's same attack. Something needs to be done about him and his crew."

"He was also right about their bounties," Runo added. "It's a massive haul. It's shame we stopped chasing them just because we ended up on this island."

Erity thought about that. The Straw Hats did have a collective bounty of 800,000,050 berris. That was a lot of berri...more than the group had made in its years of bounty-hunting. She could see the appeal Runo was talking about. Not counting the ones they had already 'taken care of', that left five Straw Hats to defeat (six if you counted the swordsman. He was most likely still alive, despite taking all those tranquilizer darts). However, there was the matter of their boss. He would want them to focus on the treasure, not the pirates.

"I am all for hunting for them," Yari said, interrupting the other girl's thoughts. "But how do you plan on getting the boss to go for it? He is obsessed with finding that treasure."

"Told you the guy had issues," Runo grumbled.

"I think I have a solution," Erity broke in. "Boss wants to find the treasure to impress the higher-ups at Navy HQ, right?"

The Creepy Duo nodded.

"Look at it this way. Just imagine the look on Fleet Admiral's Sakazuki's face if Boss not only brings in the treasure, but also the son of _Dragon_."

Their eyes widened. Their boss would _love_ that. Not only would the Navy reinstate him, they would also probably give him a huge promotion. Not to mention they would get the boy's gigantic bounty along with his crew's. It was no secret Akainu had something of an obsession with bringing in Dragon's son, at least ever since the events of Marineford two years ago. This would be perfect!

"You are an evil genius, Erity," Runo complimented. "I'm in." He then turned tail and began running into the jungle.

"Where are you going?!" Yari called after him.

"Back to camp! I want to get my toys to help with the hunt!"

Yari rolled her eyes as he ran out of sight. That man was hopeless sometimes. With nothing else to do at the moment, she began supervising the "toys'" clean-up. Meanwhile, Erity reached into her pocket and pulled out the baby Den Den Mushi her boss told her to carry.

_Ring ring ring. Ring ring ring. Ring ring ring. Ring ring- clank_.

The Den Den's face took an annoyed and tired expression.

"_The forces of hell better be biting at your heals,_" Vaughan's voice muttered through the snail. "_Or so help me-_"

"Is it too much to ask for a 'hello'?" Erity said dryly. "What, did I wake you up in the middle of a nap?"

The snail looked sheepish. "_... Maybe._"

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the brat?"

The baby Den Den's face suddenly looked very indignant, and a new voice came from it. "_Hey, watch who you call a brat, Mohawk New Woman! I should_-"

The angry looked melted into an irritated one as Vaughan's voice returned. "_Gimme that!_" Vaughan sighed. "_Sorry about that. The little snot- who I_ am_ watching- snatched the receiver right out of my hands. So, how's searching going? You guys have been gone since that first daybreak._"

Erity scowled. "Nothing so far except a slew of aggravating encounters with man-eating plants."

"_Brilliant, and I still can't get Siobhan to spill anything. I can already hear Boss screaming at us after promising not to get angry. However, I doubt you called just to tell me that._"

"You got that right. I need you to get the regular Den Den Mushi and contact the men we still have on the ship. Tell them to start circling the island and to keep an eye out for the Straw Hats' boat."

"O_kay... crap, are we doing what I think we're going to do?_"

For someone who originally said the Straw Hats weren't a priority, Vaughan sure sounded eager.

Erity grinned, but a pulse throbbed angrily on her temple. "Before I confirm your suspicions, let's have a quick chat about the strength of your tranq darts..."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Going Merry<strong>

_It was sunset, the fading light painting everything red and gold. All around Luffy was nothing but sand, big rocks, and more sand. _

_Luffy blinked. He didn't know the mystery island had a desert too! Why hadn't Zoro-ossan said anything? Then again, if he was still on the mystery island, wouldn't the sand be pink? Weird._

_He looked over his shoulder to see his crewmates, minus Carue. (Though there was a camel. When did a camel join the crew? That was awesome!) They were all dressed strangely, in long robes and a couple of them wore head coverings. It was then Luffy noticed he was dressed quite similarly. He wore a dark red robe with a blue scarf wrapped several times around his neck._

_"Well then," a voice spoke up. A familiar one._

_Luffy turned back around and gasped. Standing before him, adjusting his beloved orange hat, was none other then his big brother. He was looking at the crew, giving them a warm smile._

Ace?_ Luffy thought._ Is that really him?

_Ace certainly looked different than the last time Luffy saw him (to be expected, given that was three years ago). He was taller and more buff (Ace had always been naturally muscular). His voice was a little deeper too._

_At that moment, Ace was wearing a white scarf and a black robe that had red flame-patterns along the bottom and sleeves. He also wore black shorts, black boots, an orange belt that had the letter 'A' on the buckle, and a sheathed knife. He also carried a green and black patterned bag over his shoulder, and had a log pose around his wrist. Did everyone dress weird in the desert?_

_"You're not really going to leave us, Ace, are you?" Luffy heard Chopper say. The little reindeer sounded sad to see Ace go._

_"Yeah," Ace replied. "Seeing how its been confirmed Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, I have no reason to stick around."_

_"You sure?" Luffy heard himself say. It was like his mouth was speaking of its own accord. He hadn't wanted to say that; he wanted to ask his brother what he was doing here. Were they really in Alabasta? (If it was, no wonder Vivi left. There was nothing but sand.) How could they have gotten to Alabasta so fast?_

_"Any idea where you'll be headed next?" Sanji asked._

_"I have a lead to Blackbeard's whereabouts," Ace said. He reached into his pocket and removed a piece of paper. "Scorpion heard about a man who saw him out west. Guess we'll see."_

_Ace tossed the paper over to Luffy, who caught it. Why was Ace giving him this? It was just paper._

_"Luffy, do yourself a favor and hang on to that," Ace instructed. "Always."_

_"But it's just a scrap of paper," Luffy pointed out._

_"That scrap of paper will reunite us someday."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You don't want it?" Ace teased._

_"No, I'll keep it," Luffy assured him. It wasn't just his mouth this time. Luffy honestly meant it. _

_Ace grinned, only this smile was more directed at Luffy's crew than Luffy himself. "It's perfectly natural for a guy to worry about his bumbling kid brother, right?"_

_Luffy's breath hitched. That one of the things Ace's voice had said in the mystery fog._

_"He might be a bit much for all of you to handle," Ace went on. He bowed to the crew. "But take good care of him for me."_

_Luffy's eyes widened. Was Ace... was Ace placing his trust in Luffy's friends?_

_Ace went upright, and gave his little brother a serious look. "Luffy, when next we meet, we'll both be top pirates."_

_Luffy felt himself grin. "Right!"_

_Ace's seriousness melted into a smile. "The top, you and me!_

The top,_ Luffy thought. He looked down at Ace's paper..._

_...And then all of a sudden, the paper wasn't in his hand. It was on the ground several feet away, sliding on the ice._

_Wait. Ice? Where was the sand? And why was Luffy kneeling on the ground? He had been standing a moment ago._

_The paper kept getting farther and farther away. Luffy reached out for it... then he felt a strong heat come straight for him. He looked up to what looked like a fist, only it was gloppy and burning. Whatever it was, Luffy didn't have to be a genius to know that if it hit him, it was going to hurt._

_Then out of nowhere, the fist stopped. Red beads scattered..._

_...and fire and blood were the only things Luffy could see._

Luffy jolted upright and his arms flailed about, causing him to lose his balance and fall right out of his hammock. He bounced onto the floor, landing on his stomach. His hat fell after him, floating down neatly onto his back.

He quickly sat up and jammed Hat back on top of his head, but his hand shook the entire time. The dream had started out so nice; what had caused it to become so dark and scary, and end the way it did? He was pretty sure that gloppy burning fist hadn't struck him, but then where did all that blood come from?

Had someone jumped in the way? Luffy hoped not. He could count the number of people he thought for sure would do that for him on one hand, and he didn't want any of those people to get hurt for_ his_ sake.

"Uh, Luffy? You awake?"

Luffy looked up. Usopp was looking down at him from the trap door that led out onto the deck.

"Yeah, I'm awake," Luffy called up.

Usopp swallowed. Luffy wasn't sure why, but Usopp was looking at him strangely. The expression was unlike the sniper, and that bothered Luffy.

"Did you need something, or...?" Luffy asked.

Usopp snapped out of his daze. "Oh! No, I didn't need anything. I just came to tell you breakfast's ready. Though it's technically eight at night, so that would make it more like dinner. You coming?"

Luffy nodded and cheered, "FOOD! I'll be right there!"

Usopp smiled halfheartedly and stepped away from the trapdoor.

Luffy sighed and stood up, dusting himself off. That dream had been unnerving at the end, but he wouldn't worry about it. What really got him was what happened in the beginning. He didn't know why, but the part with Ace and being in Alabasta... it felt so_ real_, like it actually happened. But they hadn't even arrived in Alabasta, so that couldn't possibly be so. Yet, anyway.

Luffy groaned. All this thinking was making his head hurt. If he kept this up, he was going to get a fever.

He climbed up the ladder leading to the trapdoor. It was time for some breakfast-for-dinner.

* * *

><p>"Alright everybody, listen up!" Nami commanded.<p>

The crew was in the galley, in the middle of eating their breakfast-for-dinner. Luffy was digging into his food with the usual vigor, Usopp sat across from him (not really eating with his food, more like just pushing it around on his plate), and Vivi was eating and feeding Carue at the same time. Zoro sat on the far side of the table, as far away as he could from his older self (most of the crew noticed he had been avoiding him all morning), who was currently sitting on the ground getting his shoulder examined by Chopper. Actually, it was more like Chopper was nervously scolding Roronoa for removing his bandages, while the latter tuned the former out. Sanji was once again passing out food (as he always did, being the chef), only he set Roronoa's plate down rather roughly. He was clearly still angry about the previous night.

Nami stood in front of the galley door, a large sketch pad on a stand propped next to her. Written on the pad were the words "What We Know", and everything that fell under that category was written under it. When she barked out her command, everyone turned to look at her.

"Somewhere on that island is a crew made up of our older selves and a group of crazy-powerful New World bounty hunters," Nami said. "Thanks to our captain, we've been roped into aiding Roronoa in searching for the former. Since we obviously don't want to run into the latter, we can't just go gallivanting into the jungle. We need a_ plan_."

She smacked the sketch pad with her palm. "This island is strange, and we don't really know anything about this situation. I did, however, take the liberty writing down everything we _do_ know so far."

Everyone skimmed the list.

**What We Know**

_1.__This island is able to exist in two places._

_2. Night and day have strange patterns._

_3. The plants grow at irregular rates (Sanji, Chopper, and Vivi's Fruit Glade)._

_4. The island cannot be locked on to by any form of log pose._

_5. The fog that surrounds the island seems to act as an entryway._

_6. Time does whatever it wants. _

_7. Roronoa doesn't remember ever meeting his older self back when he was nineteen._

_8. There are at least two bounty hunters out there. Maybe more._

_9. There is also a little girl on the island who appears to live there. She knows about this place._

_10. As for future Straw Hat Pirates' locations, there is at least one crew member that was left behind on the ship. _

_11. Something has happened to Nami's older self._

"Why is that bit about your older self on the list?" Zoro asked.

"We found my older self's log pose, and we know something happened to her," Nami replied. "So it goes on the list."

"Knowing you, I'm surprised you didn't put it at the top."

"Shut it, sword freak! We have every right to be concerned about future Nami-swan!" Sanji snapped. His visible eye turned into a heart. "I can't to see what she looks like. I bet she's even more beautiful than she is now!"

"Shut up, Mr. Nosebleed," Roronoa muttered as he pushed Chopper away from his shoulder. "You're giving me a headache."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING MR. NOSEBLEED?!" Sanji bellowed.

"_Why_ are you calling him 'Mr. Nosebleed?'" Chopper asked, begrudgingly packing up his bandages. "His nose isn't bleeding."

Roronoa's eye blinked, then he grinned wickedly. "Well you see, in the future, the cook's nose-"

"Zoro-ossan!" Luffy shouted, his mouth full of bacon. "No telling us about the future!"

"Whoops, sorry," Roronoa apologized, not sounding sorry in the least. "Guess it'd be better to keep that one a surprise."

Zoro didn't show it, but he was now very curious about what his older self was going to say.

Usopp sweatdropped. "Even so, knowing Sanji, I think we can guess what you mean by that insult."

"Usopp!" Vivi gasped. She shook her head. "Never mind. Nami, would you please continue?"

"Thank you, Vivi. I'm glad _somebody_ appreciates my efforts," Nami said with a sniff. She pointed to number ten on the list. "Roronoa, you did say your crew left a member on the ship, right? I wasn't wrong to write that?"

Roronoa stood up and took a seat at the table. He took a bite of french toast before answering. "No, that's right. When we weighed anchor, our shipwright offered to stay behind and watch the ship while the rest of us explored. Said he had some detail work to do anyway."

"Shipwright?" Vivi repeated.

"We don't have a shipwright," Usopp said. "Which is why I'm always the one fixing the Merry when Luffy breaks something. Like the mast and the figurehead."

"Hey, Laboon's the one who broke the figurehead, not me!" Luffy protested.

"Who's Laboon?" Chopper asked.

"A giant whale who lives next to Reverse Mountain," Luffy replied. He grinned eagerly. "Next time I see him, we're gonna fight!"

"Why would you want to fight a whale?!" Chopper gasped. "Is it because he broke the figurehead?"

"No, young Chopper," Usopp said dramatically. "It was a promise between men... well, between a man and a whale, but you know what I mean. Luffy promised Laboon he would return after our journey across the Grand Line, and they would duel!"

"Wow!" Chopper said, his eyes sparkling in admiration for Luffy.

"_Anyway_," Sanji interrupted. He gave Roronoa a glare. "Like Usopp said, we don't _have_ a shipwright." He stopped glaring and thought that over for a moment. "Though considering how often the Merry gets beat up, getting one might be a good investment."

Roronoa frowned, looking like he wanted to tell them something. However, he appeared to change his mind and instead said, "What, you don't think the Straw Hat Pirates would have picked up a few extra members over time? This probably falls under the category of 'The Future,' but since Luffy insists on you all helping me, you should know. Besides myself, Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, and the love cook, we have three other crewmates in the future.

"Only nine people for a crew?" Vivi asked. She giggled. "I don't know why, but putting together such a small crew just sounds so... _Luffy_."

"It does, but I kind of expected us to have a much larger crew after two years," Nami commented. "Twenty or thirty members, at least."

Roronoa took a hasty sip of milk. "We just don't do that much recruiting."

Luffy grinned. He was a little unhappy this search made Roronoa reveal something about the future, but he_ was_ happy to hear his future crew's size. He always said he wanted at least ten guys. Just one more to go!

"In any case, fewer members means it's that much less searching we have to do," Nami went on. "Roronoa, do you have any idea where your crewmates could have gone on the island? You did say you all split up."

Roronoa leaned back a little. "Hmm... well, I think Nami, Chopper, Usopp and the cook all went together in one group. They wanted to look for supplies and stuff, and Nami also wanted to survey the land for a map. Franky- that's our shipwright- stayed on the ship... I'm pretty sure Robin went off by herself, but with that woman, who can-"

"_Robin_? _Woman_?" Sanji repeated. He got close to Roronoa's face. "You mean another lady joins the crew?! What is she like? Is she gorgeous?"

"Get out of my face, Swirls!" Roronoa snapped, pushing the blonde out of his personal space. "Since you're probably going to meet her anyway, yes, "another lady" joins the crew. I guess she's pretty, though she's not really my type so I can't give any major descriptions. You'll just have to wait and see Robin for your-"

Roronoa froze, as if he suddenly realized what he was saying. Then, very slowly, he turned to look at Vivi.

Vivi suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Bushido?"

Roronoa looked away and closed his eye, rubbing his temple as he muttered, "Yeah, that might be a problem. And not just for her..."

The Straw Hats gave the elder swordsman confused looks. What was he mumbling about?

"Why would it be a problem?" Luffy asked. "Is something wrong with this Robin lady?"

Roronoa contemplated how to explain it, but decided this was a story for another time. He waved it off. "Never mind, I'll explain it later."

Zoro gave the elder swordsman a sideways glance. "Why? Something to hide?"

Roronoa returned the glance. "Didn't I say not to make assumptions?"

The two swordsman glared at each other. You could practically see the antagonistic lightning passing between them.

"Wow," Usopp whispered to Chopper. "You'd think Zoro would get along great with someone that's basically himself in the future. These two look like they can't stand each other."

"They're both scary," Chopper whimpered.

"Roronoa, you said there were eight other people in your crew!" Nami chose to interrupt. "You haven't counted off for two of them yet!"

Roronoa broke his staring contest with Zoro. "Fine. Where was I... yeah, Robin. I have no idea where she might have gone off to. Anyway, I was going on a walk with a crewmate named Brook- who's a guy, so don't even ask, cook- until he went and got himself lost. I was actually looking for him when I ran into that weird little girl."

"And future Luffy?"

"Moron went rocketing into the jungle before we even dropped the anchor."

The present Luffy snickered. "Shishishi, that sounds like something I would do. I hope he's having fun!"

"Wonderful," Nami sighed sarcastically. "So other than this Franky guy, we have no definite clue as to your crew's whereabouts. At least this gives us a place to start. Did you guys weigh anchor along the beach, or somewhere else?"

"It was along the beach. Can't remember where, though," Roronoa replied.

"That's fine. Even if you did remember, you'd probably end up leading us in the wrong direction anyway," Nami said dryly. She pointed to the beach outside the galley window. "Then that's our first step. We'll walk along the beach until we find the future crew's ship!"

"Aww," Luffy whined. "I wanted to explore the jungle first."

"NO WAY!" Nami shrieked. "We're not going into the jungle when we don't know what's in there!"

"Which is why we need to explore it! My older self had the right idea."

"Maybe we should break into groups?" Vivi tried to compromise. "We'd be able to cover more ground that way in less time, since we we don't know how long daylight is going to last this time around."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but Nami's right for once," Zoro said. "Besides not knowing what the heck is in that freaky jungle, there are also New World bounty hunters in there. Since we're apparently not allowed to fight them without Roronoa's permission, going in there would be suicide. It's best we stick together."

"We can try the jungle after we find Franky," Roronoa added. "You could say he's one of our crew's 'big guns.'"

"We should keep an eye out for the little girl Roronoa mentioned," Sanji added. "She might be able to aide us."

"So we have a plan then?" Nami asked. There was mutual nodding amongst the gathered pirates (and princess). "Okay! Then pack up what you need and head for the beach! We leave in ten minutes!"

With that being said, the Straw Hats quickly finished their breakfasts and departed from the galley to prepare for Operation SAVE THE FUTURE (as Usopp decided to call it, much to Luffy's exclamations of the name's coolness).

Usopp left the galley, giving Luffy an awkward wave as he exited. Chopper ran from the galley, muttering under his breath what he would need for the trip from his clinic. Zoro left the galley as quickly as physically possible, pushing past Vivi and Carue to do so. This made Sanji charge after him, though not before shooting Roronoa another glare. Roronoa just sighed and exited the galley after Sanji, grumbling about "stupid blondes who couldn't let things go."

Soon, the only people who remained were Luffy and Nami. The former was eating the table scraps, and the latter was cleaning up her display.

"Hey, what's up with Zoro?" Luffy asked, swallowing his food. "He's acting really weird today."

So was Usopp, but Luffy didn't think Nami knew anything about that.

Nami collapsed her metal stand. "I don't really know, but back while you were asleep, he kept giving Roronoa all these weird, suspicious glances. However, if you want my opinion, I don't think he _or_ Sanji trust him very much."

Luffy raised a confused eyebrow. "Huh? Why wouldn't they trust Zoro-ossan? He's _Zoro_. And why wouldn't Zoro trust himself?"

"Technically, he's Zoro in two years."

"What difference does that make?"

"It may not sound like much, but two years is a pretty long time," Nami sighed, folding up her sketchpad. "People change."

"It's not _that_ long."

"It is for pirates. Our lives are pretty rough, and a lot can happen in two years. Roronoa may not be the same Zoro we know now. It was pretty obvious yesterday when he took down Sanji that he's different in the strength aspect, anyway. He's twice the monster Zoro is now. It makes me wonder how much everyone else might have changed too."

Luffy frowned. Truthfully, he had similar suspicions when Roronoa first came aboard. But after Roronoa agreed to the "captain's orders," Luffy had pretty much dismissed them. Zoro was still Zoro; he wouldn't change... would he?

"Do_ you_ think Zoro-ossan's trustworthy?" Luffy asked.

His navigator shrugged. "More or less. I have to, or else we'd never be able to figure out anything on this backward island. For now, let's say he's trustworthy unless he does something that suggests otherwise."

That didn't make Luffy feel better. If anything, it made him feel worse.

Nami squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Come on, let's go get ready. We need to leave soon."

She left the galley, leaving Luffy to himself. The pirate captain sat down and remained seated at the table, thinking over Nami's words. Granted, he knew people did change as time went on. Ace had been really mean when he was younger, but got nicer as the years went by. But that was_ seven_ years, not_ two_. Zoro, or anyone else, couldn't have changed_ that_ much.

Maybe.

He guessed he would just have to see, now wouldn't he? He had to meet his future crew to find them, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Outskirts of the K<strong>āla Jungle<strong>**

_Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho..._

The sun had risen again. It had only been night for roughly five hours, but he wasn't complaining. He never did like sitting in the dark for too long. It brought too many harsh memories. At least that fog from before hadn't made its way to the main island yet; he'd had enough fog for one lifetime, than you very much.

...Though, he wasn't actually alive anymore, so he guessed he couldn't complain.

He took a sip of tea (he always carried some around in a thermos). He still hadn't been able to find the others, including the crewmate he had gotten separated from. The island was big and confusing; he couldn't even remember where they had docked the ship. He had been alone for quite some time now.

...He never did like being alone.

So for now, he decided to take a break. His crewmates were very capable and could care for themselves if need be. And who knows? Perhaps they all had already made their way back to the ship and were currently looking for him as well. All he really needed to do was wait. The only issue now was how to pass the time until he either found his friends, or they found him.

...He knew it was a good idea to bring his violin along. He pulled his bow back, and began to play.

_Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho..._

_Binkusu no sake wo, todoke ni yuku yo. Umikaze kimakase namimakase..._

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time (For Reals!):<strong>

Vivi and Usopp stared up in horror. This thing was a... it was a... a...

"Excuse miss," the tall skeleton before them said, leaning towards Vivi. "Would you be so kind as to show me your panties?"

"AIIIIEEEE! PERVERT ZOMBIE!"

"AHHHHH, WHERE?!"


	8. Dead Men Tell No Tales

**JEEZUM PETE! THIS HAS 98 FOLLOWERS!**

**I've never gotten this many followers, this fast before. *_tears up_* You like me! You really, really like me! **

**So, let's see if we can bump this up past 100! I want to surpass my current top story, _Night Falls_, with_ Tomorrow's Romance Dawn_!**

**Surprisingly though, none of you called me out on Yari's comment on how Robin would make "a lovely doll." _I_ didn't even realize what I had written until my sister pointed it out to me. Accidental foreshadowing is not something I do often. Also, o****n a side note, if anyone wants to create fan art for this, by all means, go ahead! I want to see what you come up with! My sister, Goldenrose101 on deviantart, is in the process of drawing some of her own. She'll be posting them as soon as they're finished, and I'll put the links in my profile when that time comes.**

**This chapter is a lot longer than previous ones. Consider it an apology for omitting Brook's introduction from the previous chapter.**

**Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda, Shonen Jump, Shueisha, and Toei Animation. (I read Oda makes, like, 25 million dollars every year in One Piece royalties. This manga is gonna put his daughter through college. And his daughter's daughter, and his daughter's daughter's daughter, and so on...)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 7: Dead Men Tell No Tales... But They Do Sing Songs<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Beach of Kāla<strong>

"Bye, Carue! Bye, Vivi! Bye, Usopp!" Luffy called out, walking backward as he waved the duck, princess, and sniper goodbye. "Take care of the Merry while we're gone!"

Vivi and Usopp waved back, while Carue quacked and saluted Luffy with his wing before beginning to pace the deck. He was taking his duties very seriously.

Once everyone got what they felt they needed for their escapade along the beach (Chopper packed medical supplies, Usopp packed extra ammo and weapons, Sanji packed food, etc.), they had come to the realization that if they were all going on Operation SAVE THE FUTURE, this would leave the Going Merry completely unguarded. Usopp immediately offered to stay behind, until Zoro pointed out that if the bounty hunters showed up and he was all alone, he'd be dead meat. Usopp then had mysteriously come down with I-can't-remain-on-the-ship-or-I'll-die disease, causing Chopper to panic and rifle through his medical books trying to find a cure.

After much debate and convincing the little reindeer that Usopp's disease didn't exist (and drawing some straws), it was decided that Vivi, Carue, and Usopp (who drew the long straw by pure coincidence) would be staying behind to guard the Going Merry.

"Think Vivi and Carue will be okay on their own?" Sanji asked as Luffy ran to the front of the group.

"What about Usopp?" Chopper asked. He was in Walk Point so he could carry extra supplies.

"Him too, I guess."

"They should be fine," Roronoa replied. "Bounty hunters usually only go after people with bounties. Vivi doesn't have one, and you wouldn't be able to recognize Usopp based on his poster. If we're lucky, they should just ignore them."

"I wasn't asking you, bigger sword fre-" Sanji began. Roronoa's words then registered with him. "Wait a minute. _Usopp_ has a bounty in the future? _Usopp_?"

Roronoa glanced at Luffy.

"That's okay," Luffy said, understanding the glance. "I expect all of my crewmates to have bounties any day now. Just don't tell us when he got it or how much it is, alright?"

Roronoa nodded. "Aye-aye, captain."

"_Usopp_," Sanji repeated. "Has a _bounty_. _Usopp_."

"Saying it over and over isn't going to make it any less true, cook," Zoro said irritably.

Sanji still looked incredulous as he walked along the sand. "... What the heck did he _do_?"

Roronoa smirked. "That would be telling."

"... Do_ I_ have bounty poster yet?"

The elder swordsman stopped walking and stared at Sanji for a long time. He seemed ready to answer the question, but then he shook his head.

"Nope," Roronoa said to himself, grinning as he began walking again. Zoro recognized it as his 'I know something you don't, and it is freaking hilarious' grin. "Even I'm not that cruel."

"Hey, what's with that stupid grin?!" Sanji shouted. "Come on, you don't have to tell how much it is, I just want to know if I have one! Roronoa!"

Roronoa started to laugh, ignoring Sanji's shouting. Zoro knew himself well enough to know his counterpart wasn't laughing at Sanji's frustration, but at the idea of Sanji's poster.

_Dang it, he has all this great material against the cook_, Zoro thought bitterly. _I know Luffy ordered to stop asking about the future, but now I really want to know about that stupid poster!_

Zoro then realized he was now walking pretty close to Roronoa, so he sped up until he was walking next to Luffy.

The search party walked in relative silence for awhile after that. Other than passing large mossy rocks that popped up along the beach every now and then, there wasn't really much to see except the ocean, the rest of the beach, and the jungle to their right (Luffy stretched his arm out at one point to snatch a branch, just so he could use it as a walking stick). At least the weather was nice, and the sun showed no signs of setting. Of course, this didn't change fact just walking quietly was boring, and when the situation got boring...

"_Oh, the island in the south are warm_," Luffy sang off-key. "_And their heads get really hot. The grow-a pineapples, they grow-a coconuts... and they're morons!_"

The crew winced (Chopper had even flattened his ears against his hat). Luffy really was a horrible singer.

"Next verse!" Luffy announced, waving his walking stick. "_Oh, the islands in the north are snowy, and their heads get really cold..._"

"Luffy!" Nami interrupted. "If we actually _talk_ about something, will you promise _not_ to sing?"

"Okay!" Luffy agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I think I may have a topic," Roronoa said. "Is it true you guys heard voices in the fog when you first came here?"

That had come so out of nowhere, it took a few seconds to register with the present Straw Hats.

"We did," Chopper said at last, slowly. "We thought they were ghosts, until Nami and Sanji heard voices of people they recognized."

"Why do you ask?" Nami asked. "Didn't your crew hear voices as well?"

"No, we didn't hear anything when we passed through the fog," Roronoa replied. He paused. "Well, unless you count the sound of Usopp hyperventilating, but that's hardly out of the ordinary."

"How did you know we heard voices if you didn't hear any yourself?" Sanji asked suspiciously. "We never talked about it in front of you."

Roronoa jerked his thumb towards his younger self. The crew turned to look at Zoro.

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have brought it up during a... _discussion_, we had the other night. Didn't know it was supposed to be a secret."

To his credit, it_ wasn't_ like it supposed to be a secret. It was just that most of the crew had been trying _not_ to think about the voices after hearing their own speak within the rainbow fog. Especially so with Zoro, so they were a little shocked that_ he_ had brought it up of all people.

"The voices were really annoying a first," Luffy said. "They said we were weak and had no pride, that we were powerless, and that desert sand would bury us."

"The voice that said that last part sounded just like Crocodile," Sanji pointed out. "You thought he was a ghost for a minute there."

"Crocodile was still alive last I saw him," Roronoa said. "If you want to call that living, anyway. What else did you hear?"

"After Crocodile, it was just a bunch of random phrases," Nami answered. "It was more like parts of sentences, actually; as if the fog were breaking into the middle of the voices' sentences. Then we heard Hatchan's voice-"

"Hachi's voice?" Roronoa asked, sounding somewhat surprised. "What was he saying?"

Nami's eyes widened and she stumbled mid-step before regaining her balance. Did... did Roronoa just refer to that octopus fishman as _Hachi_? It was Hatchan's nickname, true, but the only people he let call him that...

...were his close _friends_.

"Nami dear?" Sanji said. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Nami's pale?" Luffy gasped. "Oh no! Is she sick again?!"

"Maybe we should head back to the Merry and have Chopper give her a check up," Zoro suggested seriously.

Chopper immediately went into doctor-mode (read: frantic Brain Point), jumping around Nami and telling her to sit down so he could make sure she hadn't relapsed from the Kestia (which, if Kureha had been there to tell him, was impossible). He was still new to the crew, and therefore wanted to make sure he didn't fail in his duties as doctor.

"Guys!" Nami broke in. "I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine!"

"You sure?" Luffy asked.

"I'm sure," she confirmed. "If I were feeling sick, I'd tell you. I promise."

By this point, her color had returned and she did look healthy, so the crew had no problem believing her.

"Okay," Chopper said, calming down and helping Sanji pick up the supplies he (Chopper) dropped. "You'd better keep that promise and tell me if you start feeling ill again, alright?"

Nami nodded. "I'll keep my promise, don't worry. Now that that's taken care of, where were we?"

"You were about to tell me what Hachi's voice said in the fog," Roronoa reminded her.

Nami swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Right. If I recall correctly, he was saying something about somebody promising something. It had to do if they saw someone shot before their eyes."

Nami remembered the out-or-breath, pained tone Hatchan's voice was using. If he hadn't been one of her tormentors for the last eight years, she might have felt sorry for him. The navigator was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Roronoa had ceased walking. Everyone else stopped as well once they noticed (though Sanji had to tap Nami on the shoulder get her attention).

"Zoro-ossan? Why'd you stop?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, you were the one who wanted to start searching so badly," Zoro said, crossing his arms.

Roronoa ignored the other two, instead focusing on Nami. "Nami, were Hachi's exact words, 'you promised, that even if someone was shot before your eyes, you would not lay a hand on the... on _them_'?"

Nami raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

"The octopus's voice said the first part, but where did that second part come from?" Sanji asked.

Roronoa didn't reply. "Quick, tell me something else one of the voices said."

"Okay..." Nami said slowly. "Um, I think Vivi told me she heard a woman's voice cry out 'I want to live-'"

"-'take me with you, take me away from here,'" Roronoa finished for her. He bit his thumbnail. "Damn it... how is this possible?"

"Whoa, Zoro-ossan! How do you keep doing that?!" Luffy asked excitedly. He turned to Zoro. "Why didn't you tell me you were psycho?"

"I thought that was a given," Sanji snickered.

"Shut up, ero-cook!" Zoro barked. "If I'm psycho, then at least I'm not whipped pervert like you."

"What did you call me, mosshead?"

"You heard me, dartboard!"

"Take it back!"

"Make me!"

Sanji aimed a kick at Zoro's face, Zoro deflected it with his sword, and it all went downhill from there. While the cook and swordsman exchanged blows, Chopper spoke up, "Luffy, I think you mean psy_chic_, not psy_cho_. Am I correct?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, that."

Roronoa watched his younger self fight Sanji, sweatdropping. "You know, now that I'm the one watching this for once, I can see how this can get kind of annoying."

Not that he would change his habits any time soon. That cook was just too annoying to not fight all the time. Besides, if he didn't fight the cook, then that pervert would call him a scaredy-cat and never let him hear the end of it. (Choosing not to fight younger Sanji didn't count. Roronoa didn't fight people_ that_ much weaker than him unless the situation demanded it.)

"Don't just change the subject! How do you know what the voices said?!" Nami shouted. She then turned on her heel and pounded her fists into the dueling men's heads, sending them plowing into the sand. "AND WOULD YOU STOP FIGHTING AND PAY ATTENTION?!"

"Yes, Nami my swaaaan~!"

"Damn it, woman! Stop hitting us all the time!"

Chopper hid behind Luffy, while Luffy laughed at the scene. Roronoa just continued to sweatdrop. Once Sanji and Zoro were back on their feet, it was also back to the matter at hand.

"You didn't answer my question or Nami's, Zoro-ossan," Luffy said. "How do you keep guessing what those voices were saying? And how do you know what they were going to say afterwards? It's really freaky."

"I'm not guessing anything," Roronoa admitted, crossing his arms. "I know what they're going to say because I was there when those respective voices said them. Or more accurately, when the people those voices belonged to said them. I don't how, but I think what you guys were hearing were things that were said to you in the future."

"WHAT?!" the crew yelled collectively.

"How can that be?" Chopper asked. "We heard our voices too! I heard myself say I was going to be a more reliable man."

"My voice was calling somebody flighty and scolding them for not considering how others feel," Nami said.

"Usopp's fog voice said this place wasn't hell," Luffy added. "And my fog voice was asking somebody what made them a god. I sounded really pissed."

"I don't know about Nami's, but I do know Usopp's and Chopper's, and I can guess Luffy's by context," Roronoa said.

"What about what my voice said?" Zoro asked. "I told you about it last night. Recognize that?"

Roronoa narrowed his eye. "Seeing how your voice is also_ my_ voice, I think I know what situation I was in when I said that."

Luffy remembered what Zoro's fog voice said.

"_...can't even protect my captain, then my ambition is..._"

Luffy frowned a little. Zoro's ambition was _what_? He promised Zoro he'd never get in the way of that. So if Zoro really said that in the future, what did it mean for their vow?

Roronoa noticed his young captain's frown and clapped a hand on his shoulder, which was Zoro-talk for "don't worry about it." The younger swordsman scowled at his older self's gesture but did nothing to interrupt it. Luffy looked like he needed it.

By this time, some clouds had rolled across the sky and blocked out the sun, dimming the area quite considerably. It fit, considering how dismal the atmosphere had become in the last few minutes.

"And after we heard our voices, it got really disturbing," Sanji went on. "There were still other voices, but only one really stood out. The things it said... were very troubling."

"Yeah," Nami agreed. She looked at Luffy. "If these really are voices of the future, I can only wonder _why_ Ace's voice was saying those things. Do you think he gets into some kind of-"

"Hold on a second," Roronoa broke in. "Did you say 'Ace'?"

"Don't interrupt Nami, you uncouth-!" Sanji started to rant.

"Cook, shut up," Roronoa said sternly.

Sanji did shut up, the authority and stern tone in the swordsman's voice preventing him from arguing.

"This is important," Roronoa continued. "Did I just hear you say '_Ace_'?"

"Ace is the name of Luffy's big brother," Chopper explained. "He told us about him after we set foot on the island."

"I know who Ace is!" Roronoa snapped, and then immediately felt bad when he saw Chopper's frightened expression. "Sorry. I meant I do know who he is, but I'm surprised that you all know."

"Huh? Why's that?" Luffy asked.

"Your crew shouldn't know about Ace yet. We didn't know your future self even had siblings until he told us about him in Nanohana."

"That's the city Vivi said we'd visit first when we arrived in Alabasta," Nami remembered.

"That doesn't sound right," Zoro said. "Luffy told us about him just the other day. Why would I forget by the time we arrived in Alabasta?"

"And why would I also forget coming to a freaked-up island between Drum and Alabasta?" Roronoa countered. "It's because I didn't forget. These things _didn't happen_. At least they didn't before."

"What, are you saying because we all came to this island, history's being changed somehow?" Chopper asked.

"How'd you come up with that?" Roronoa asked. He shook his head. "Never mind, because it actually makes sense. Despite my efforts and Luffy's orders, you are going to learn about the future, and the _fact_ you know might change what decisions you make later in your journey."

"Different decisions, different outcomes," Sanji added reluctantly.

"So it's a mystery effect," Luffy concluded.

No one bothered to correct Luffy, because just like with the "mystery island", he was right.

"It's the only logical explanation," Nami said. "Unless Roronoa and his crew just miraculously forgot everything once they left the island."

Sanji glanced at Zoro and Luffy. "I wouldn't put it beneath certain members of our crew."

"Shut up, cook," Zoro said. He turned to his counterpart. "You looked kind of spooked there when Nami said Ace's name. It's not_ that_ surprising, is it?"

Roronoa just shrugged. He didn't really look like he wanted to talk about it.

"Do we... _meet_ Ace in Alabasta?" Luffy asked suddenly. "Is that why I tell you guys about him?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't telling you be going against-"

"Just tell me!" Luffy snapped.

"Okay, okay! Yes, we do meet him in Alabasta!" Roronoa answered. "We were heading in the same direction, so he traveled with us for a couple days before leaving. That's it."

"Luffy, what's your problem?" Nami scolded. "You didn't have to snap at him like that."

Luffy's brow furrowed as he ignored Nami and thought back to his dream. So they did meet in Ace in Alabasta... or at least they were _going_ to. His dream must have been about Ace's departure, but how was that possible? He hadn't experienced it yet, so how would he know what would happen, even if it was a dream?

"Zoro-ossan," he began. "Did Ace-"

"_LUFFY_!"

* * *

><p><strong>Time: A good 15-20 minutes earlier<strong>  
><strong>Location: The Going Merry<strong>

Vivi, as anyone who knew her could tell you, was something of a worrywart. She worried at Whiskey Peak, she worried on Little Garden, and she worried_ heavily_ on Drum Island (with good reason). This time was no different. She paced the deck alongside Carue, worrying about her friends who had gone off in search of the future Mr. Bushido's ship.

Usopp looked up from his chemistry set. He was making extra ammo in the case of an attack. "Would you stop pacing? You're going to make a rut in the deck and I don't want to have to fix it."

"I'm sorry," Vivi apologized (though she continued to pace). "I'm just a little on edge. I hope the others make it to Mr. Roronoa's ship safely."

"You're worried about _them_? They have Luffy, Sanji, and _two_ Zoros with them," Usopp said as he began to clean up his supplies. "If you should be worried about anyone, be worried about us! If the bounty hunters hunters come here, we're pretty much screwed!"

Vivi stopped pacing and crossed her arms. "I thought you were a brave warrior of the sea."

"I am!" Usopp said proudly. He began to shake in fear. "I just want to live long enough to continue being one!"

"I've spent two years among bounty hunters. They usually ignore those without bounties, so if we're lucky, we'll be just fine."

"That makes me feel _so_ much better."

Vivi sighed and sat down on the deck. Carue got down behind her so she could lean back on him. She began to absently rub her hair between her fingers.

Usopp gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Of course!" she replied a little too quickly. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "No reason. It's just you seem a little off is all."

She chuckled weakly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of. You're a chatty worrier, and you've been unnaturally quiet this whole time." He thought about it. "Oh, does it have to do with Alabasta? Helping Roronoa is really cutting into the time we have to get there."

Vivi gave him a smile. "Looks like you and Nami think alike. She said the same thing to me before we went to sleep last night."

Usopp sat down across from her. "Well, does it?"

"A little, but I'll tell you what I told Nami. Past or future, Mr. Roronoa is my friend and I want to help him out. Still, the sooner we find his friends, the better."

"I'm with you on that," Usopp agreed. "Although I have defeated many a bounty hunter in the past, I don't even _I_ could handle ones from the New World. It's best we find our future selves before the hunters find us." The sniper noticed Vivi was chewing on her lip. "But that's not your reason, is it."

Vivi shook her head. "No, it's not. I've also been thinking about what will happen when we arrive in Alabasta. Roronoa said we beat Crocodile, but... well, that doesn't necessarily mean we stop the actual rebellion."

"Vivi, it's going to be fine," Usopp assured her. "You just have to tell them Crocodile is behind all the bad stuff and they'll stop, right?"

"But what if I can't do that?!" Vivi shouted, jumping to her feet. "And what about you guys? You're risking your lives helping me! I know none of you die given Mr. Roronoa's description of his crew, but who knows what could happen there? Look at Mr. Roronoa; he's missing an eye! For all we know, he could've lost it in Alabasta!"

"Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?" Usopp asked, also standing up. "Anyway, I don't think Roronoa's eye was blinded in Alabasta, and even if it was, he seems to manage just fine without it."

"Yes, but-" Vivi started to argue.

"Just calm down and stop worrying, okay?" Usopp went on. "Luffy promised he'd help, and he keeps his promises... like, 95 percent of the time, but he usually keeps them. Also, you're our friend; if you weren't, we wouldn't even be bothering." He slumped a little. "Besides, you're not the only one who's afraid of failing the people they care about."

Vivi frowned. "I couldn't help but notice, but you've also been kind of 'off' today. Not to mention you've been acting strange around Luffy. Is there a problem?"

"You'd think I was crazy."

"Try me."

Usopp sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't been meaning to act strange around Luffy, but it has to do with this dream I had last night."

"A dream?" Vivi repeated.

Usopp nodded and described it to her.

* * *

><p><em>It was nighttime. The dark sky was overcast, and Usopp was surrounded by a rocky landscape. In the distance behind him, there was a large city. To the side, the ocean and the Going Merry.<em>

_He winced. The Merry looked _horrible_. She was just barely being held together by metal plates and mismatched planks. What had happened to her?_

_He could also see Sanji, Nami, Chopper, and Zoro standing on the deck. Nami looked distraught, Zoro looked distant, Sanji was scowling, and Chopper looked like he was ready to start crying. What was going on? And where was Luffy?_

_"Gum Gum... _Pistol_!"_

__Usopp turned in time to see Luffy, despite there being smoke everywhere. He was performing one of his signature attacks... only that attack was coming straight towards him! He tried to call out his captain's name, but found he couldn't make his lips move.__

_Usopp had seen Luffy use this attack on many enemies before, but never had he ever been subject to it. The rubber fist rammed into his jaw, sending him flying across the ground and damn, did it hurt!_

_It was just then Usopp realized his entire body hurt. He was covered in so many bandages he looked like a mummy. Not that Luffy looked much better. The rubber captain was covered in burns, scratches, and blood. Why were they both hurt this bad? Why was Luffy attacking him out of nowhere like this? _

_Luffy ran forward, stretching both of his arms behind him._

_"It's time to put an end to this!" Luffy growled. "Gum Gum... _BAZOOKA_!"_

_Usopp felt his body stand up and hold up what looked like a little pink shell. (Why was his body moving on its own?) The bazooka hit the shell, and all of a sudden, all the force seemed to vanish from Luffy's attack. Usopp was surprised, and Luffy looked doubly so._

_"Recognize this?" he heard himself say. His lips were moving on their own as well. Why did his voice sound so angry? "I bet that bazooka would've hurt. Let's find out!"_

_Usopp ran forward and placed the shell right in front of Luffy's face._

_"_IMPACT!_"_

_Usopp wasn't sure how, but the shell seemed to release the force it had absorbed from Luffy's bazooka. Luffy went flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth. It took all of Usopp's willpower not to scream, for he had now officially lost all feeling in his arm. He ended up screaming anyway._

_He felt his body seize up, and he screamed out, "_I WON'T LOSE TO YOU_!"_

_Usopp was dumbfounded by his own words. Were he and Luffy were in some kind of duel? Why would they do that? Luffy was his best friend; he wouldn't fight him for no reason!"_

_Luffy wasn't down for long. He was soon back up on his feet, though he was breathing very hard. Usopp got on his feet also, struggling with every movement. Luffy stretched his arm backward as far as it would go._

_"Gum Gum..." Luffy cried out. "_BULLET!_"_

_Luffy's fist plowed into Usopp's stomach. The sniper didn't go flying, but he did cough up blood._

Luffy..._ he thought. _Why? Why are we fighting? You're my friend, damn it_!_

_He fell forward, landing on his face. The dream (and how he desperately hoped it really was one) began to fade out. Right before it did, he heard Luffy muttering._

_"You idiot," his captain whispered. "You knew it would end like this! You knew you could never beat me!"_

_Usopp didn't reply. The last thing he remembered was the sound of Luffy's voice, sounding on the verge of tears._

* * *

><p>Usopp took a long, shuddery breath as he finished recounting the events of his dream.<p>

"Oh, Usopp," Vivi whispered sympathetically.

"And now whenever I look at Luffy, his last words in my dream replay in my head," Usopp sighed. He sat down on a barrel and ran his fingers over his bandanna.

"I can see how this would bother you," Vivi said. "I may not have been traveling with you guys for long, but even I can see how close you all are. So to fight someone you care about like that..."

"What gets me is I don't know _what_ we were fighting about," Usopp went on. "Going off what Luffy said at the end, I'm pretty sure _I_ was the one who instigated the duel. What could have occurred that would make me angry enough to challenge my best friend to a fight I_ know_ I'm going to lose? Did I fail him somehow...or did he fail me? I have to know!"

"_Nothing_ has occurred, nobody has failed anyone, and you clearly have no intention of challenging Luffy to anything," Vivi pointed out. "It was just a bad dream."

"That's just it. Remember when I said you'd think I was crazy if told you about my dream?"

"Yes."

"Here's the crazy part; I don't think it was just a dream. It felt too real to be one."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Are you saying you think it was a _memory_?"

Usopp shrugged. "That's my best theory, but it's a flawed one. I think I would remember something so awful." He rested his chin in his palm. "But some details of my dream stuck out to me. You weren't there, but Chopper was. The Merry was badly damaged, and we were next to a city I had never seen before."

When mentioning the Merry, Vivi noticed an almost pained expression grace Usopp's features.

"You're worried about the Merry too?" she asked.

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. It was bad enough seeing her in that state in my nightmare; but I've also been thinking back to when Roronoa first woke up."

Vivi knew what he meant. "Mr. Roronoa asked if anything happened before his crew brought him back to the _Sunny_."

"The _Thousand Sunny_," Usopp added grimly. "Sounds like the name of a ship to me."

Carue, sensing his princess's friend's distress, scooted up next to him and nuzzled him. Usopp scratched under the duck's bill appreciatively.

Vivi, Carue, and Usopp were currently sitting pretty close to the figurehead. Vivi reached over and ran her hand over the adorable lamb's head. She had grown fond of this little ship; the thought of the Straw Hat Pirates losing it saddened her. With that on top of his nightmare, she was surprised the sniper wasn't a complete wreck. She was about to attempt comforting Usopp, when she suddenly heard something.

_"...no sake wo, todoke ni yuku yo. Umikaze kimakase..."_

"Usopp," Vivi whispered. "Did you hear that?"

Usopp looked up from his brooding. "Hear what?"

"Just listen."

Usopp grew quiet, as did Carue. As Vivi predicted, the sound returned.

"_...no mukou de, yuuhi mo sawagu. Sora nya wa wo kaku, tori no uta..._"

"It sounds like... singing," Usopp said the time it faded out.

Vivi pointed to the jungle. "It's coming from over there."

Usopp and Vivi shared a quick glance.

"No way!" Usopp hollered, forming an 'x' with his arms. "We are not going in there to check it out!"

"But Usopp, it could be one of Mr. Roronoa's crewmates!" Vivi reasoned.

"And it could be one of the bounty hunters!"

"A bounty hunter wouldn't be randomly singing; a member of Luffy's crew would!"

"...Touché."

"It's just a quick peek," she insisted. "We'll be in and out, just like that."

Usopp fell off the barrel and on to the deck, lying on his back and grasping at his throat. "Oh no, it's my I-can't-go-ashore-or-I'll-die-disease! I don't think I can make it Vivi..."

Vivi rolled her eyes. Usopp could be such a drama queen. "Fine. I'll just go with Carue and leave you all alone on the ship."

Usopp thought for a moment that she may have been bluffing, but sure enough, Vivi hopped on Carue's back and jumped from the Merry and on to the beach. Usopp was all alone on the Merry.

"If she thinks she can scare me into coming, she's got another thing coming," Usopp muttered. "I am the Great Captain Usopp! I can handle being alone on the ship."

As soon as he said that, clouds rolled over the sky, blocking out the sun and darkening the deck quite a bit. On top of that, the wind picked up and there were odd, scratching noises coming from the jungle.

A screeching noise that sounded like some big, ugly bird echoed across the ship.

That was the last straw.

"VIVI! WAIT FOR ME!"

* * *

><p>"Stop smiling like that."<p>

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You just stay there on your duck. I didn't come here because I was scared; I came here to protect you."

"I appreciate the sentiment."

With the sun now behind the clouds, the jungle had grown extremely dark. Usopp walked closely next to the mounted duck, aiming his slingshot in random directions. So far, their little search wasn't very successful.

"I don't see anyone," Vivi observed. "I'm sure this is where the singing was coming from."

They walked a bit farther. The jungle was now getting a little misty too (at least it wasn't rainbow colored).

"Hey, Vivi?" Usopp piped up.

"Yes, Usopp?" Vivi responded.

"I just had a thought," he whispered nervously. "What if the reason we can't find who was singing... is because it was a _ghost_?"

Vivi ordered Carue to halt, and she gave Usopp a slightly exasperated look. "Don't tell me you still think this island is haunted?"

"I'm just tossing around ideas!" Usopp insisted. "This island already has a backward sense of time; why not throw the living dead into the mix?"

"Backward senses of time and the living dead have nothing to do with each other."

"You don't know that!"

"And neither do you." Vivi sighed. "Honestly Usopp; and you say I'm a worrier. I think the worse we have to be concerned about on this island are the bounty hunters. There are no living dead on this-"

"Yohohoho! Usopp-san!" a voice interrupted from out of nowhere. "I thought I recognized your voice!"

Vivi, Usopp, and Carue turned in time to see a figure step out from the bushes. And what they saw...

"I'm happy to have finally located a familiar face!" the figure said jovially. "I'm afraid I got myself a little lost; this island is quite confusing. Have you noticed the odd sunsets and sunrises? When I saw that sunset so early in the day, my eyes nearly bugged right of my head! Ah, not that I have eyes! Yohohoho!"

Vivi, Usopp, and Carue said nothing. Their minds were still trying to process the sight before them.

"Oh," the figure went on, taking notice of the blue-haired princess. "And who would this lovely lady be?"

The figure was impossibly tall; over nine feet. It wore a trim back coat, a blue cravat, a flashy orange feather boa, floral-print pants, fancy pink sunglasses, and a white hat that seemed to be combined with a crown. It had hair, a large black afro in fact. But that was the only thing remotely human about it. It already said it didn't have eyes... only empty sockets. It didn't have ears, a nose, or any flesh for that matter.

Vivi and Usopp stared up in horror. This thing was a... it was a... a...

"Excuse me, miss," the tall skeleton before them said, leaning towards Vivi. "Would you be so kind as to show me your panties?"

"AIIIIIEEEE!" Vivi and Usopp shrieked. "PERVERT ZOMBIE!"

"AHHHHH!" the skeleton shrieked back, looking from side to side. "WHERE?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Present (relatively speaking)<br>Location: A ways down the down the beach of **Kāla****

After divulging a few details about Ace, Roronoa was starting to look somewhat uncomfortable.

_Roronoa_, who was _Zoro_, looked _uncomfortable_. Even if it was only slightly and barely detectable, Zoro, past or present, _never_ looked uncomfortable about _anything_ (unless one counted the last forty five minutes, during which Zoro looked uncomfortable whenever he got too close to his older self). Call the crew crazy, but they partially suspected he was uncomfortable with talking about Ace.

"Zoro-ossan," Luffy began. "Did Ace-"

"_LUFFY_!"

The crew turned around to see Vivi and Usopp riding down the beach on Carue. The sniper and the princess had identical terrified expressions on their faces. Usopp looked so scared that tears of fear were streaming down his face. Seeing them instantly pushed the subject of Ace out of their minds. They had their friends to worry about at the moment.

"Vivi, Usopp!" Nami called out.

"Vivi-chan!" Sanji shouted out, jogging over to meet them. Zoro, Roronoa, Luffy, Nami, and Chopper followed after him.

Vivi yanked on Carue's reins and the duck skidded to a stop. Unfortunately, the sudden force caused Usopp to go flying off the saddle. Luckily for him, Roronoa caught him and immediately set him back up on his feet.

"Thanks," Usopp said, sounding out of breath.

"No problem," Roronoa replied.

Sanji helped Vivi dismount, for she was too shaky to do it on her. The blonde cook took the princess's hand in his own. "Vivi-chan, are alright? Why aren't you still on the Merry?"

"I'm here too, you know!" Usopp shouted indignantly.

Sanji, of course, ignored him and went on right trying to soothe Vivi.

"Was it the bounty hunters?" Chopper gasped. "Are you guys hurt?"

"The bounty hunters showed up?" Luffy asked. "And I _missed_ it? Darn it!"

"It wasn't bounty hunters," Vivi said slowly. "It was much, much worse."

"Did the Marines show up?" Zoro asked, a hand on one of his swords. "Or Baroque Works?"

"Even worse than that!" Vivi continued.

"What's worse than the Marines, Baroque Works, or New World bounty hunters?" Nami asked. It must have been bad, if it was enough to make them abandon the Going Merry.

Vivi and Usopp looked at each other before yelling, "A ZOMBIE!"

"A ZOMBIE?!" the Straw Hats yelled back.

"I told you this place was haunted! I told you so!" Usopp said, his legs knocking together furiously. He was on the verge of a panic attack. "But did you listen to me? Does anyone _ever_ listen to me?!"

"We went into the jungle because we thought it might be one of Mr. Roronoa's crewmates, but then it just appeared!" Vivi explained. "It was awful! I didn't think zombies existed, but now-!"

"A real live zombie?' Chopper said. "That's medically impossible! This is an amazing discovery! Totally scary, but amazing!"

"A zombie?" Luffy repeated with a large grin. "Awesome! Was he a musician?"

Nami grabbed Luffy by the ear and hollered, "A ZOMBIE IS NOT JOINING OUR CREW!"

"But Zoro said if the zombie happened to be a musician, we could take him into consideration!" Luffy whined, rubbing his ear.

"If Mosshead said it was okay, then we're definitely not doing it!" Sanji shouted. He held Vivi close. "Besides, that zombie assaulted my precious Vivi-chwan! If I see it, I'm sending it back to the grave!"

Vivi looked up at Sanji, then gently pushed him away. He remained standing close to her though.

"It attacked Usopp too," Zoro pointed out.

Carue quacked loudly. Everyone was forgetting about him again.

"It technically didn't attack us," Usopp admitted. "We made a break for it before it could."

"See? It didn't attack them!" Luffy said happily. "So now we can ask it to join our crew! What do you think, Zoro-ossan?"

Roronoa was standing off to the side, trying rub away an oncoming headache through his temples.

"Zoro-ossan?" Luffy said again, only more quizzically.

"Zombies," Roronoa muttered. "Brilliant. For once, I'd love to come to an island enshrouded with fog without there being zombies involved."

"Wait, you mean you've encountered zombies before?" Nami asked.

"Unfortunately," he replied. "Let's just say it wasn't a good day and leave it at that."

Zoro was mildly surprised. He'd said it would be interesting to fight zombies back when they first entered the fog. He didn't actually think he would ever get the chance to do so for real. Though, Roronoa didn't sound to thrilled...

"Then you should know all about defeating them!" Usopp said hopefully.

"Please tell us how, Mr. Roronoa!" Vivi pleaded. "I want that thing gone. Not it only was it really scary, it was completely perverted! Who does it think it is, asking me such an inappropriate question?!"

Roronoa stopped rubbing his temples. "Pardon?"

"The zombie was a pervert as well?!" Sanji gasped. "Vivi-chwan, I swear I will find this zombie and kick it so hard it'll wish it was still alive just so it could die again!"

"I don't get it," Chopper said. "How can zombies be perverts? Even if they can move around, their ability for higher thinking would be heavily impaired due to rotting brain tissue."

"You've actually_ thought_ about this?" Zoro asked the little reindeer.

"Uh, Vivi?" Roronoa broke in, stepping in front of the princess. "May I ask you a couple questions?"

"Oh, uh... of course," Vivi agreed. "What are they?"

"This zombie. By any chance was he more of a skeleton than an actual zombie?"

"Yes, he was! He didn't have any flesh whatsoever!"

"Was he dressed in really flashy clothing?"

"Um, I guess? The feather boa was a little much."

"Did he have an afro?"

"He did! But how did you know?"

Luffy's eyes widened. "The zombie has an _afro_ too?" He chuckled gleefully. "Shishishi, that's so cool! Now I really want it to join the crew!"

"What does it having a stupid afro have to do with anything?!" Nami shouted.

"Hey, never disrespect an afro!" Usopp declared. He crossed his arms. "It's a widely known fact afros hold untold power. This zombie will be quite the adversary indeed."

"Really?" Chopper asked. "I've never heard of such a thing!"

Zoro sweatdropped. This conversation only got weirder and weirder.

"Last question," Roronoa continued, ignoring the afro discussion. "That inappropriate thing he asked you; by any chance was it if he could see your, ah..." He looked away, rubbing his neck. "...panties?"

Roronoa other hand flew up immediately after he said this, just in time to once again catch Sanji's foot.

"Damn it, Roronoa!" Sanji ground out, nearly biting his cigarette in half. "Let me kick you for crying out loud!"

"Stop being so predictable, and _maybe_ I'll let you," Roronoa deadpanned, pushing the offending foot away.

Sanji stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his footing. "Apologize for saying such a crude thing to Vivi, you clod!"

"Hey, the skeleton was the one who originally said it, not me," the elder swordsman shrugged. He turned back to Vivi. "Well, was that his question?"

Vivi and Usopp stared at Roronoa, gaping and looking very much like fish. How did he _know_ that was the question it asked? It was a totally random and unpredictable question!

"I'm going to take your dumbfounded expressions as a yes," Roronoa said. He sighed and facepalmed. "That _idiot_. Way to make a first impression..."

"Zoro-ossan, do you know this talking afro-zombie?" Luffy asked. "He sounds really interesting!"

"A perverted zombie isn't interesting!" Nami argued. She turned to Roronoa. "But seriously; _do_ you know this zombie?"

"I do, unfortunately," Roronoa sighed again. "Sorry about him asking that question; it's kind of a habit of his no amount of knocks to the head will break. You see-" He froze mid-sentence, and absently cocked his ear up a little.

"Roronoa?" Nami asked.

Roronoa's eye widened. He lept forward, knocking the crew away. "GET DOWN!"

Not a second later, the sand where the Straw Hats had previously been standing exploded. Several areas of the beach nearby exploded as well. It was only due to Roronoa's reflexes that they were pushed out of the way in time and avoided being blown to smithereens.

Roronoa jumped to his feet and drew two of his swords; Kitetsu and the black one (he said during breakfast it was called Shusui). Now that the Straw Hats were paying attention, they could see what had caused the explosion. Something was firing cannonballs at them.

As cannonballs got close, Roronoa effortlessly sliced them in two and the remaining halves went flying into the woods, exploding harmlessly. Now that he knew what he was up against, Luffy got up as well and joined his future swordsman's side.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy began, inhaling deeply. "_Balloon!_"

Luffy's body inflated until he was indeed as fat and round as a balloon. The cannonballs that hit him were immediately sent flying back in the direction they came.

"Where are these coming from?!" Sanji shouted. He was still on the ground, shielding Nami with his body. Carue had Vivi and Chopper covered. Zoro jumped to his feet as well and joined his older self and Luffy in deflecting cannon fire.

Usopp stood up as far as he dared and lowered one of his goggles' lenses. After a moment or two, he spotted the source of the cannonballs.

"Over there, beyond that cove!" Usopp announced, pointing at said cove.

And just in time too. The cannonballs ceased as a large ship emerged from around the cove, sailing perfectly despite the shallow waters.

It was an incredibly large ship; about the size of the average galleon. The upper exterior of the ship was covered in thick steel plates, most likely for protection, and the figurehead resembled a snarling ape. Cannons lined the rails, and the people manning them looked downright sadistic. On the sails and flag, there was a jolly roger that resembled a broken skull. Printed next to the broken skull was the image of a gun.

Geez, why not just paint the words WE KILL PIRATES in big honking letters on the sails? It wouldn't be half as obvious.

Sanji helped the girls and Chopper up, then they along with Usopp ran up to join Luffy (who had deflated) and the swordsmen.

Roronoa snarled. "I recognize that flag. This is the ship that was chasing us when we got caught in that current."

"T-They're bounty h-hunters?" Usopp stuttered. "From t-the New W-World?"

"Zoro-ossan," Luffy said softly. He cracked his knuckles. "Can we fight them?"

"I haven't decided yet," Roronoa replied softly, only his soft voice had a dangerous edge to it. "Give me a minute to see what we're up against."

"My first fight as a real pirate," Chopper whispered excitedly. He looked up at Usopp. "What should I do to help?"

Usopp gulped and pulled out his slingshot. "I'll tell you as soon as I figure it out myself."

Sanji shushed them. The ship was approaching.

As the ship got closer to the shore, large grappling hooks were fired from the figurehead's mouth, latching on to the trees in the jungle behind the crew. The loud cranking sound that followed revealed that the ship was being dragged closer to the beach. It wasn't long before the giant ship was partially on the pink sand, and someone was standing on top of the figurehead. The ship was so big that the crew was forced to look straight up to see whoever it was standing there.

It was an extremely muscular man with a shaved head and way too many tattoos. He had a broad ax slung across his back, and brass knuckles on each hand. He smiled smugly down at the pirates.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Tattoos asked sardonically, yelling down to them. "We were given orders to find a pirate ship, and instead we come across the actual pirates. What luck."

Zoro grit his teeth. So these clowns were actually looking for them, huh?

A man carrying papers walked up next to Tattoos on the figurehead. "We've identified most of them, sir."

"Good," Tattoos said with a nod. "Read them off."

The lackey nodded and started by pointing at Luffy. "We have 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy..."

Luffy grinned. He loved his epithet.

The lackey pointed at Roronoa. "...'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro..."

Zoro glanced at his older self. His pirate epithet was _pirate hunter_? Would that title haunt him forever?

Nami was pointed at next. "...'Cat Burglar' Nami..."

The navigator's hands flew to her face. "Not me too!"

Next was Chopper. "...'Cotton Candy Loving' Chopper, their pet..."

Chopper's jaw dropped. "I'm their... _pet_?"

Sanji and Usopp snickered at the cutesy epithet.

The lackey gestured towards Vivi and Carue. "...some blue-haired girl and her duck..."

Vivi breathed a sigh of relief. If she didn't have epithet, she didn't have a bounty. Then she realized that the fact the others had epithets meant they _did_ have bounties. Oh dear...

Usopp came up next. The lackey stared hard at the piece of paper he was holding. "...I'm not entirely sure who that guy is, but going off the nose, I'm assuming he's 'King of the Snipers' Sniper King without his mask on..."

Usopp's eyes widened. In the future, he was referred to as the _King_ of the Snipers?

The lackey finally got to Sanji, who actually looked excited to hear what his epithet was. However, the lackey gave the cook a blank stare.

"Something wrong?" Tattoos asked.

"...I have no idea who this dude is," the bounty hunter lackey admitted.

Sanji looked like he'd been punched in the stomach. The stooge knew who everyone else was; even the reindeer! Had that been the reason Roronoa laughed so hard? He was the only one without a bounty?

Tattoos took the paper from his colleague and examined it. "Hmm... well, he could be 'Black Leg' Sanji. They have the same curly eyebrow."

Sanji perked up considerably.

The lackey raised an eyebrow at the paper. "If that's true, then the Navy really needs to update his photo. Or at least find someone who's a better artist."

Roronoa made a quick snort that sounded like an attempt to hold back a laugh. And a bad one at that. Sanji vowed that orders or no orders, he would see what was so funny about his poster.

The lackey then automatically gestured toward Zoro. "And lastly, we have... Roronoa Zoro?"

"You counted him already," Tattoos pointed out.

"No sir, there's two of him."

At those words, the other men on deck crowded to the front the ship so they too could see the second Roronoa Zoro. It seemed each man had something to say.

"Whoa, they look so much alike!"

"Nah, the first one Charlie pointed out looks older."

"They both even have three swords!"

"I didn't know the Pirate Hunter had a little brother!"

"THAT GUY IS _NOT_ MY BROTHER!" Zoro hollered, waving his swords threateningly.

"THAT WAS RIGHT IN MY EAR, YOU DOLT!" Nami hollered back, punching him the head.

Tattoos shrugged and hefted his ax off his back. "Whatever. Brother or not, we're flexible. Although I don't see Devil Child, Cyborg, or Humming Swordsman here, there is still a good 643,000,050 berris worth in bounty before me." He pointed his ax at Luffy. "Hope you don't mind if we collect it, Straw Hat."

Luffy punched his fist into his hand. "We'd like to see you try it, Tattoo guy!"

"No, we wouldn't!" Usopp, Nami, and Vivi argued.

"I'll protect you, Nami-swan and Vivi-chwan!" Sanji cooed.

"What about me?!" Usopp shouted at him.

"Eh, you'll be fine."

"I'll do my best Luffy!" Chopper said with a salute. "I'll show them I'm not a pet!"

"Finally, some action," Zoro grinned.

"Oi!" Roronoa interrupted. "You promised no fighting unless I gave the okay, so settle down!"

The meeker Straw Hats were more than happy to comply, but the more hardheaded ones (Luffy and Zoro) looked ready to start throwing punches. Sanji was too busy doting on the girls to form any solid opinion on the matter.

"Good!" Tattoos laughed. "I like my targets to have attitude and guts! I promised everyone else on this boat free reign with your crew. so you're getting a fight whether you want it or not. Our boss is gonna promote us for bringing in the infamous Straw Hat Pirates along with the treasure of Kāla!

Nami's eyes became berri signs. "Treasure?"

_Kāla?_ Vivi thought. _Is that the name of this island? It sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on it_...

"Oi, Straw Hat!" one of the bounty hunters on the ship's deck shouted down.

"Yeah?!" Luffy answered.

"Don't answer him!" Usopp loud-whispered.

"I have a cousin in the Navy!" he shouted. "He said he saw you at Marineford!"

Since everyone was now paying attention to that lowly bounty hunter, they failed to notice the steely gaze reappear in Roronoa's eye, as well as his forming snarl.

"Marineford?" Luffy asked, confused.

"That's where Navy Headquarters is," Vivi explained. "It's right next to the holy land, Mariejois."

"And Mariejois is where the main base of the World Government is," Nami added.

Luffy nodded. "Ah, I see."

(This was Luffy for "I don't really get it, but I'll pretend I do.")

"So your cousin saw our crappy captain there," Sanji called up. This new subject was enough to pull him away from the girls, if but for a moment. "So what?"

The bounty grinned maliciously down at the rubber boy. "He wanted me to tell you: "It was a nice effort, but you missed a spot!""

For some reason, this sent many of the ship's bounty hunters into spiels of laughter, as if it were the funniest thing on the planet. Luffy didn't get it, of course. It was a mystery future thing; he could tell you that much. He didn't want to know what it meant because of that. Most aspects of his future adventures he wanted to be a surprise. It was bad enough these guys spoiled his crew's future epithets for them; seeing what name you got on the wanted poster was half the fun!

He was about to tell them so, when the ship- which, I'll remind you, was a galleon- suddenly split in half.

* * *

><p>There was no warning or anything; one second the ship was in one piece and the bounty hunters were laughing, the next it was in two pieces and the crew was screaming (especially those who got cut up along with the ship). Pieces of the ship went flying into the water or fell into the jungle (depending how far down on the sand that the part of the ship in question was), along with a good number of the bounty hunters. Tattoos and many others jumped off and onto beach just as the ship collapsed completely. Sadly (not), many of the bounty hunters did not make it off in time.<p>

The pirates and princess stared at the scene before them in shock and awe.

"Uh... what just happened?" Usopp wondered aloud.

"Good question," Nami said slowly, gaping.

Chopper pointed a hoof at what the part of the ship remained; the point where it split. "Look at that! It's like it's been cut by a giant knife or something!"

"No way..." Sanji said. Memories of the day Don Krieg attacked the Baratie came flooding into his mind. "It's like that one time..."

"What one time?" Vivi asked.

"I once saw Hawkeye Mihawk cut this huge galleon in half with only a sword," the chef explained. "It looked just like this."

"But... how?!" Vivi went on. "Not only was it this giant ship, it had steel plates on the upper exterior! Who can cut steel that easily?!"

Zoro's mouth had gone dry at sight of the demolished ship. Cutting a ship that big... and cutting through steel as well... these both were things he was not capable of, but he had no doubt Mihawk could do quite easily. But since the greatest swordsman in the world (at the moment) couldn't be possibly be on this island, who did that leave who could have done the deed?

"Hey guys?" Luffy spoke up, though he was still marveling at the destroyed galleon. "Where'd Zoro-ossan go?"

That was another good question. The future swordsman was nowhere in sight. Then all of sudden, Carue began quacking and pointing his wing to the side. When they looked in the direction the duck was gesturing to, that was when they found Roronoa.

Roronoa was now a little farther down the beach. If the ship wasn't cut up and no longer on the beach all that much, he would have been on the other side of it. He had his back to the crew, and was slowly sliding Shusui back into its sheathe.

_It was him. He was the one who cut the ship_, Zoro thought. _I can't even cut steel-hard wax right now, much less cut a galleon in half. But this guy... have I really grown so much in just two years? It's almost as if..._

Zoro's heart skipped a beat. Was it possible that in the future... he was already...?

"Wow," Chopper whispered, interrupting the swordsman's thoughts. He looked up at Zoro admiringly. "You. Are. So. Cool!"

Zoro looked down at the reindeer. Just earlier that morning, Chopper had been as afraid of him as ever. Now all of sudden, because of something Zoro's_ older self_ did, he was cool? What a weird little guy.

Roronoa turned and gave the surviving bounty hunters (there was still a good number of them) a snide grin.

"Sorry about that," he pretended to apologize. "Your ugly ship was starting to bug me, so I decided I didn't want to look at it anymore. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you too badly."

Tattoos was seething with rage. He raised his ax. "You'll pay for that, Pirate Hunter. Nobody screws with the Carrion Bounty Hunters and gets away with it!" He pointed a finger at Roronoa. "KILL HIM!"

The bounty hunters charged with their respective weapons, but Roronoa was ready for them. He turned away and quickly drew all three of his swords, placing the white one in his mouth.

"_Rengoku..._" he said, crossing his swords in front of himself.

Faster than you could blink, he turned back around and lept forward towards the rushing bounty hunters. He cut through them, leaving x-shaped slashes of blood in his wake.

"._..Oni Giri!_" the elder swordsman finished.

Many bounty hunters fell, but their still-standing comrades did nothing to aide them. Instead they chose to try another attack at Roronoa.

Roronoa waited until they got close before making his next move.

"_Kokujo: O Tatsumaki!_"

The crew had seen their Zoro do this technique before, but never on this scale. The spinning motion accompanied with Roronoa's swords actually created a giant twister. Hunters screamed and bled as they were sent flying into the air, their weapons shattering from the cyclone of slashes.

"AWESOME!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper cheered.

"He's a monster..." Nami whispered.

Vivi nodded in agreement.

"That's our mosshead; reckless to a fault," Sanji commented. If Zoro didn't know any better, he would said the cook sounded almost impressed.

Tattoos was not amused, however. He jumped at Roronoa, heaving his ax down towards the swordsman's head. Roronoa guarded in time, and for the briefest of moments, the two were at a stalemate.

"Ah," Tattoos noted, pressing his ax down hard. "You have Haki, don't you?"

Roronoa gave his signature shark grin around the sword hilt in his mouth. "Didn't think it'd be that obvious."

Tattoos smirked. "Several of our boss's higher ups can use it adeptly. I'd recognize another user anywhere."

"Good to know."

The dueling men managed to push the other off; Tattoos back towards his remaining men, and Roronoa back towards the Straw Hats. The clouds that had been blocking the sun got thicker, and it got darker. Some of the mist that had been forming in the jungle had leaked out on to the beach and water.

"Zoro-ossan!" Luffy said once Roronoa back next to them again. "That was amazing! You've gotten so much stronger!"

Roronoa gave him a smile. "I appreciate the compliment, captain."

"So, can we fight?"

"How did I know you were going to ask me that?" Roronoa closed his eye for a second, then it opened it again. "I think you should be able to handle the cronies. Just leave Tattoo guy to me."

Luffy cheered, and the other began to take battle stances. Nami assembled her bo-staff, Vivi pulled out her Peacock slashers, and Usopp aimed (with shaking hands) his slingshot. Chopper had a Rumble Ball ready, Sanji lifted his leg into kicking position, and Zoro pulled out his own three swords.

"Ready?" Roronoa asked his captain.

Luffy nodded. "Yosh."

Tattoo guy lifted his ax again and addressed his men. "I don't care if their bounties drop thirty percent; I want them all pushing up daisies, you hear?!"

"Yes sir!" the bounty hunters chorused.

It was a stand off, with both sides ready to throw the first attack. And they would have too, if it weren't for a sudden shout of:

"Yohohoho! Zoro-san!"

Vivi and Usopp went rigid. They knew that voice.

The bounty hunters parted as they turned to look at the speaker, and the Straw Hats could clearly see the flashily-dressed skeleton standing behind their opponents.

"That's it!" Usopp shouted. "That's the zombie!"

"How did it find us already?!" Vivi cried out. "And how did it get over there?!"

Nami's eyes widened in fear. "No way... it's real?"

Chopper's medical side immediately began to mentally label all the bones visible to him, although he was shaking like a leaf.

Zoro's eyes widened. This was... this just wasn't natural.

Sanji's expression was halfway between terrified and pissed. Terrified of the walking, talking skeleton, and pissed that this was the same crappy pervert who asked to see Vivi-chwan's underwear.

"He really does have an afro!" Luffy said with zeal. "He's a real skeleton with an real afro! This is so amazing! Think he'll join the crew if we ask?"

"NO!" his crew shouted at him.

The skeleton began walking through the crowd of bounty hunters, calmly swinging around a dark purple cane. If it concerned him to be walking through a group of bounty hunters, you couldn't see it on his skeletal face.

"Is that a skeleton?" one hunter said.

"No way, it has to be a mask," another argued.

"Skeletons can't walk. They're dead."

"Hey, isn't he the Soul King? My sister has all his tone dials!"

"There you are, Zoro-san," the skeleton said conversationally, ignoring the bounty hunters. "I've been looking all over for you. Imagine my surprise when I turned and you had simply vanished. It was quite a shock to my old heart... well, not that I have a heart anymore. Yohohoho, skull joke!"

Roronoa rolled his eyes and re-sheathed all of his swords. He wasn't afraid of the skeleton in the least. If anything, he looked annoyed. "You're the one who got lost, not me. Where have you been all this time? Is anyone else with you?"

"Sadly, no," the skeleton replied, coming to a stop in front of the bounty hunters. "I've been wandering the jungle in search of the crew and the Sunny. I did see Usopp-san, but he ran for some reason." The skeleton then noticed the rest of the Straw Hats. "Oh, you've already found everyone! What a relief! Though I don't see Robin-san or Franky-san anywhere."

Roronoa casually stepped in front of his younger self, hiding him from view. "Yeah, I may have to explain a few things. The situation's a lot more complicated than you know."

"You don't say?"

"Um, Zoro-ossan?" Luffy piped up. "Can we fight now? Just standing here is boring."

The annoyed expression was back in full force on Roronoa's face. "There's no need to now."

"What do you mean there's no need to?!" Tattoos shouted. "We still need to collect your bounties, and we're more than ready to battle you all for them."

"There's no need to because you gentleman had already been defeated," the skeleton answered simply.

"Eh?" Tattoos grunted.

The mist surrounding them suddenly grew colder, sinking into everyone's pores and chilling them from the inside out.

"This chill," Nami shivered. "I didn't sense a change in atmosphere. This isn't coming from wind or anything."

The skeleton held up a sword and a section of his cane. The crew could now see they had been one and the same. But it begged the question; when did he draw it?

Roronoa smirked. "He can be such a show-off."

Luffy and his crew looked between Roronoa and the afro creature before them. Just who or what was this new guy?

The skeleton began re-sheathing his blade, speaking to the hunters. "You've lost because I've already cut you. _Pastoral Song..._"

All of the bounty hunters stiffened. Frost began to form on their bodies.

The sword slammed back into its sheathe."._..Blizzard Slash!_"

Long cuts appeared out of nowhere on the hunters' bodies, but they carried no blood. Only thick ice came bursting from these wounds, and all at once, the hunters fell to the sandy ground. The skeleton spun his cane and planted the bottom of it into the ground.

"The cold you feel is the chill of the underworld," he said icily. "Remember it well the next time you contemplate threatening my_ nakama._"

That last word echoed in the Straw Hats' ears.

_His_ nakama?

"Nicely done, Brook," Roronoa said, walking up to the skeleton. "Personally, I wanted a crack at some of them, but whatever. Now, come on. You have a lot to catch up on."

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><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

**Not saying! You got an extra-long chapter! Be satisfied!**


	9. Intermission

**Sorry this isn't a chapter. I haven't been able to work on it of late due to school and other distractions. But my spring break starts up next week, so I should be able to work on it then. (You know, assuming I'm not too out of it from getting my wisdom teeth pulled. I'm not looking forward to that. However, for some weird reason I was born with only three wisdom teeth instead of four, so it won't be as bad.)**

**So in the meantime, I created this. One of my reviewers said he/she had a hard remembering who was who with the bounty hunters, so ****in case you've lost track, here's a quick list of who they are, where they are, and what you should already know about them:**

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><p><strong>Boss: <strong>The leader of the bounty hunting group. He's only had one scene, so everything about him is still a mystery. What we do know is he used to be in the Navy, and believes locating the treasure Kāla holds is his ticket back in. We don't know why he is now a bounty hunter. but it may have to do with him being laughed at in the Navy. He has an unusual habit of saying one thing, then doing the exact opposite not even a second later. Siobhan calls him "Boss," as she does not know his name.

It can be assumed he is located in the bounty hunter's camp.

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><p><strong>Yari (YAR-RI): <strong>The female member of the "Creepy Duo," Yari is described as a goth Lolita. She is the group's female swordsman. She carries her sword hidden in the handle of her parasol, and is adept in using it. As stated by Erity, she has Kenbunshoku (Observation) Haki. Whether or not she knows the other types is unknown. She also has the power of the Nerve Nerve Fruit. So far she has only used it to increase the intensity of pain, so other uses remain to be seen. She also likes to say whether or not a person would make a good "doll." How she goes about making someone her doll has yet to be revealed. She seems to like fighting, is not shown to be particularly bright despite being the "brains" of the operation (12 TIMES. SERIOUSLY?), and often acts smarter and more knowledgeable than she actually is. She also appears to have not had a happy childhood, given she fell into a depression when Erity brought it up.

She is currently located in the jungle somewhere with Erity.

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><p><strong>Runo(RUE-NOH): <strong>The male member of the "Creepy Duo," Runo is described as having a feral appearance. He has no preferred style of fighting, but does well with hand-to-hand combat and firearms. He is triple-jointed, and as stated by Erity, has Kenbunshoku (Observation) Haki. Whether or not he knows the other types is unknown. He also has the power of the Hypno Hypno Fruit. So far he has only used it to put several subordinates into a obedient trance, so other uses remain to be seen. He likes to refer to his hypnotized victims as his "toys." He likes to taunt people and point out their flaws. He seems to enjoy fighting, and believes anyone who is too weak deserves whatever horrible fate finds them. He is, also probably not half as smart as he is thinks he is (12 TIMES. _12 TIMES_). He also appears to have not had a happy childhood, given he fell into a depression when Erity brought it up. He also get depressed if someone steals his thunder.

He was in the jungle somewhere with Erity and Yari, but is currently on his way back to camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Erity (AIR-IT-TEE):<strong> Erity is the second female of the group. She is described as having a mohawk, but no other details have been given about her appearance. Whatever fighting abilities she has have yet to be revealed. Going off Tattoos' revelations, it can be assumed she knows Haki, but it's still unclear. She is shown to complain a lot and is easily irritated, usually by either Vaughan or the Creepy Duo. She has noted that she likes bounty hunting and finds it fun, but would never turn in her "queen's" bounty. Siobhan's nickname for her is "Mohawk New Woman." The reason for the "new woman" part is unknown.

She is in the jungle somewhere with Yari.

* * *

><p><strong>Vaughan (VAWN):<strong> The bounty hunter with the second fewest scenes, much is still unknown about him. He is described as having red-colored eyes and has been called a "vampire" by Runo (he's not one. Yari checked), but nothing else is known about his appearance. He is somewhat passive, sarcastic, lazy, and seems the least motivated out of the group. He does not appear to like his boss, given he didn't really protest Siobhan biting him five times. He does show great deductive ability, seeing how he was able to guess what Siobhan meant by how "more of the same" were coming. He has sniper skills, and he says he has devil fruit powers. As to which devil fruit it is remains unknown. It can be assumed he knows Haki, but which forms have yet to be revealed. Siobhan's nickname for him is "Blood Eyes."

He is back at camp, guarding Siobhan.

* * *

><p><strong>And lastly, though not a bounty hunter, we address:<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Siobhan (SHI-VAUN):<strong> A young girl who apparently lives on Kāla, she was captured by Boss and his group some time after they arrived. She does not appear to know of the World Government or the Marines. She is in tune with the Fog, and is able to detect when outsiders pass through it. Not much is known about her personality, but she has a habit of giving people nicknames based on their physical traits. She also shows a snarky, sarcastic side, and usually likes it when visitors come to the island. She knows something about the island's treasure, but whatever it is, she isn't talking. According to Vaughan, devil fruit abilities don't have any effect on her (whatever that means). She is most likely the "brat" Roronoa encountered before he fought Yari.

She is currently trapped in a cage back at the bounty hunter camp.

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><p><strong>Everything clear for now? Good. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible.<strong>


	10. Curiouser and Curiouser Still

**I HAVE REACHED 145 FOLLOWERS and 111 FAVORITES! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!**

**As for my life in general, my wisdom teeth are long gone and I'm told I was very loopy when waking up from the anesthesia. Like, singing Bink's Sake and playing with my face kind of loopy. Apparently, at one point I started complaining about everything that was wrong in my country; the super volcano in Yellowstone, the national debt, etc. I also apparently referred to my dentist as a certain singing skeleton, went on about how my older sister's ex-boyfriend was a jerkass, and how Zoro and Sanji look awesome without their shirts on. That's only the tip of the iceberg, and I have very few memories of any of it. My twin sister Goldenrose101, on the other hand, wasn't loopy; only lethargic. Though, she kept asking for a mirror, at least according to my mom.**

**I hope to never be put under anesthesia ever again. It's too weird.**

**Afterwards, I've been having to deal with a lot of school work and impending projects and papers and exams and SATs hanging over my head. (To this day I hate that my dad talked me into entering the advanced program. Worse headache ever.) Not much time to write, ya know?**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I didn't work on it over spring break as much as I'd hoped, and I had to keep re-writing sections until I was satisfied with it. Put all that on top of being drowned in last minute school stuff (the year's almost over, so teachers really pile it on)... well, again I apologize for the long wait. Not much stuff action-wise occurs in this chapter, but I'm sure it will be more action-y next chapter. So without further adieu, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, and I never will. Which is a major bummer.**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 8: Curiouser, Curiouser, and Curiouser Still<span>**

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><p><strong>Time: Day at Night<br>****Location: Camp of the Carrion Bounty Hunters, Kāla**

Siobhan refused to look at him. If she had to look at Vaughan one minute more, she was going to scream.

"Come on," he was saying while smiling (not that she could tell. She wasn't looking at him) deviously. "I know you heard it too."

Nope. She wasn't going to look. She was going to sit in her cage and keep facing the wall of the tent (which was like, made of thousand-count thread sheets. Sissies). She would not take his bait.

"It was an interesting sound," Vaughan went on, leaning back in his chair. "The sound of all those voices falling silent. I can't help but wonder if something happened to the men we left on the ship."

Well, didn't _he_ sound choked up about_ that_. Please. Vaughan said it as if he were discussing whether or not it would rain that day. And what really pushed her buttons was that he was right. She _had_ heard the sound of 'voices' falling silent. Hearing such things was difficult on Kāla, but she had had a long time overcome that obstacle. She was impressed he'd been able to overcome it so quickly (not that she's ever admit it. Vaughan clearly didn't need a bigger ego).

Vaughan had been chattier ever since the Den Den Mushi call from Erity. Speaking of which, the call itself had been bugging her.

"Why'd you agree?" she said at last, turning her head to look at him.

"She speaks!" Vaughan joked before becoming serious. "However, I'll need you to clarify your question."

"I remember when you left Moss Hair in the woods," she continued. "You said his crew was of low priority. Why are you now so eager to hunt them down?"

The red-eyed hunter shrugged. "A man has his reasons. Maybe I'm just itching for a fight."

"Or maybe you just want these Straw Hats to get involved."

"...Involved? With what?"

"You_ know_ what," Siobhan spat. She stood up and gripped the bars of her cage. "Boss is trying to find Kāla's treasure, and _you_ want those pirates to get involved. Why?"

"I thought you'd want them to get involved too. You said that the 'others' that were coming would stop us."

"I know, and I still think that. That doesn't change that I want to know why you're so adamant about them getting involved that you're helping them along."

Vaughan stood up and walked over to the cage, then kneeling down to Siobhan's eye level.

"This is the Straw Hat Pirates we're talking about, kid," Vaughan said with a smirk. "They don't need my help to get involved with the going-ons of this island. They can do that much on their own."

"You're avoiding my question, Blood Eyes."

"You've been refusing to answer my questions all day, Gold Eyes."

Siobhan scowled. She couldn't help the way her eyes looked; everyone in her family had them.

...Wow. There was a lot of hypocrisy in that thought.

Vaughan's smirk grew even more smirky. "And for the record, 'Boss,' as you so insistently call him, has a name. It's Carrion. Just thought you'd like to know."

She wrinkled her nose. "_Carrion_? Who names their child after rotting meat?"

"You got me, but you have to admit, it sums up his personality quite well. Whereas the name Siobhan means 'God is gracious', and there ain't anything gracious or godly about you."

Instead of going on with the conversation at this point, Siobhan stuck out her tongue at him and then sat back down. Vaughan shrugged and returned to his chair. He didn't fall asleep this time, for someone was going to be coming along soon to relieve him of brat-watching duty. Erity had talked to Boss (Siobhan calling him by his actual name would imply she actually cared) on the transponder snail, and like she predicted, he had been thrilled with the plan. Vaughan was to start the hunt as soon as possible. He would leave when Runo arrived to pick up his "toys."

Siobhan looked to the side, where her father's staff was laid against a desk.

_These fools_, she thought. _They have no idea what they're getting into_._ I need to get out of here before these idiots do something they're going to regret._

She then looked down at the palms of her hands. On a side note, why were these Straw Hat Pirates so important to Boss and his men? They were important enough that the island revealed itself to them, but still...

"_Pirates are the freest people on the sea, Siobhan. No regrets, no responsibilities; it's only them, freedom, and the wide open sea. And they're about the most interesting people you'll ever meet."_

_"You mean like you?"_

_"Not like me; I'm one of a kind!"_

_"Yeah, that didn't sound conceited at all."_

_"You're lucky I like you, kid."_

"Freedom," Siobhan whispered so quietly, not even Vaughan could hear her (she was sure). "No regrets. No responsibilities."

She bet these pirates had all those things. When her friend first told her about pirates, for the first time in her life, she had felt... _jealous. _She had responsibilities; and she currently failing at them. She had regrets; too many to count. And most important of all, she wasn't free; and she didn't mean she wasn't free of this stupid cage.

Siobhan wasn't free of this island; of Kāla. And she never would be. She had a promise to keep, and she'd be damned if she ever broke it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shouting.

"Oi, Vaughan!" a voice hollered from outside the tent. Runo had arrived. "Come on! Time is money, and we've got a lot of it to make up for!"

A nameless lackey entered the tent and turned to the red eyed man. "I'm here to relieve you, sir."

Vaughan stood up and stretched his arms. "Finally. There's only so many scathing glares I can take before I get bored."

That comment earned him another said scathing glare from Siobhan.

"Still bored," Vaughan taunted her. He picked up his weapons from where they lay against the tent, and strapped them to his back and sides. "Well, I'm off. Be a good girl for your new chaperone, alright Siobhan?"

"Bite me, Blood Eyes."

"I think you do enough biting for the both of us, brat, and Carrion has the scars to prove it."

Vaughan then strolled out of the tent and went out to meet up with Runo and his toys. The nameless lackey claimed Vaughan's old chair and began his vigilant watch over the girl.

Siobhan frowned. Darn. As annoying as he was, Vaughan had been her only source of intelligent conversation since they stuck her in the cage (which she still thought was totally unnecessary; ropes or chains or even a leash would work just as well). Whoever this Straw Hat guy was, he'd better be appreciating the attention. She was going to be bored out of her skull until either he got caught or got involved in this whole mess.

Stupid Straw Hat.

* * *

><p>"Jeez, what took you so long?" Runo said as Vaughan exited the tent. He spun a flintlock pistol on his index finger. "Was guarding the brat so entertaining that you couldn't be dragged away?"<p>

"Shut up, Runo," Vaughan said, barely paying the other man any mind. "I was just wrapping up my chat with the prisoner. And don't spin that thing on your finger; you'll make it misfire."

Sure enough, the pistol went off and from somewhere off to the side they heard a cry of pain. Runo winced, then stuffed the gun in his pocket and tried to look as innocent as possible. It wasn't working.

Vaughan sighed. "See what what I mean? Anyway, where are your 'toys?' I thought you came here to get them."

Runo shrugged and put his arms behind his head. "I gave them their orders and sent them on ahead."

"Was that wise? What if they come out from under their trances because you're not there?"

"Do you have _any_ idea how my powers work? They can only come out of a trance either by my saying so or somebody somehow figuring out the release phrase I put in place... or if they get clocked on the right temple, but what are the odds of that?"

"I'd say fifty-fifty; you are just as likely to hit the left as the right."

"... That was rhetorical, stupid."

"Pot and kettle, Runo," Vaughan said with a shrug. "Why the right though?"

"Nobody ever aims for the right temple," Runo replied matter-o-factually.

"Ah."

Runo grinned and threw his arms up into the air. "Now, enough dilly-dallying! We gots hunting to do!"

"You go on ahead," Vaughan said, waving him off. "I'll be right behind you. I just have some housekeeping to take care of."

"Housekeeping?"

"You just shot a guy, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"Do you have to say that so nonchalantly?"

Runo snickered creepily (as usual), as if the idea of accidentally shooting people was fun, before running on ahead back into the forest. Vaughan rolled his eyes and strolled in the direction the earlier cry of pain had come from. The victim was lying on the ground next to the medical tent (luckily), and had ironically been one of their snipers. Runo did love irony.

"Vaughan!" one of the men shouted when Vaughan got close. "Brady has been shot! Are we under attack?"

"No, Runo just had a mishap with his gun," Vaughan replied. "What are you waiting for, an invitation? The medical tent's right there, so bring Brady in!"

The subordinate saluted and dragged Brady into the tent, leaving behind a trail and pool of blood. There was actually quite a bit of it; the bullet must have went in close to an artery or something.

Well, there was no use in letting it all go to waste. Vaughan took out a pocket knife and made a thin slice in his palm, then held his now cut hand level over the pool of blood. After a moment or two, the pool bubbled before long streams of the blood arose from it, curling and twisting towards Vaughan's palm. All the red liquid formed into a sphere the size of a marble, then absorbed into the cut. The cut scabbed over almost right away.

"Hmm. Brady has XF blood type. Who knew?" Vaughan muttered absently to himself.

Vaughan stretched his arms. Now that 'housekeeping' was taken care, he could follow after Runo. Kāla was by no means a very big island, but it was still a lot of ground to cover. The rest of the Straw Hats could be anywhere, and they still hadn't procured the treasure Carrion was so obsessed with.

Vaughan frowned and reached into his pocket, removing a medallion. It was a large gold circle attached to a long ribbon; nothing fancy. He carefully slipped the medallion over his head and let the gold fall against his chest. It was his lucky medallion, and if everything was to go as planned, he needed all the luck he could get.

Vaughan turned and ran into the jungle. Runo had been right for once; they had hunting to do.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Wreck of the bounty hunters' ship, beach of <strong>Kāla<strong>**

Remember when it was stated that if asked, the Straw Hats would agree that the previous night's dinner-for-lunch was the most awkward atmosphere they had ever collectively been in?

Scratch that. _This_ was now most definitely the awkwardest atmosphere they had ever collectively been in.

Roronoa had decided that bringing the talking skeleton (whose name was Brook, apparently) over to the rest of crew was a good idea, despite the fact said crew was terrified of said _talking skeleton_.

(Well, except Luffy. If the expression of sheer awe and the mischievous grin on his face were any indications, he was currently having the best day of his life.)

Brook, naturally, was focusing more on the fact there were two Zoros before him than the rest of the crew, much to their relief. If it- er,_ he_ said anything to them, they wouldn't know what to say back. He was a _living skeleton_, for the love Mike! How was that even possible?! (And to greater extent, what crack were their future selves on when they allowed him to join their crew?)

Speaking of which, Brook had been staring at Zoro for a solid five minutes now. It was starting to aggravate the latter.

"...You can stare for the next decade for all I care, cause what you're seeing isn't going to change," Zoro growled at last.

Roronoa crossed his arms and said to the skeleton, "Well? Anything to say?"

Brook turned to look at the older swordsman. "... So, Zoro-san, when were you going to tell us you had a younger brother?"

"WE'RE NOT BROTHERS!" the two swordsmen hollered, both pounding him on the skull. "GET IT RIGHT, DAMN SKELETON!"

Brook laughed as he fell to the ground. "Yohohoho! So harsh!" He stood up almost immediately. "But if this other man is not your brother, then who exactly is he?"

"We should be asking the same thing!" Usopp yelled from where he was hiding behind Carue. He paused. "Not about the brother thing, but who the heck you are!"

"And how the heck a skeleton is walking and talking anyhow!" Sanji added angrily, though he was hanging back with Nami.

Brook looked confused, or about as confused a guy without a face can look.

"Hey, skeleton guy!" Luffy announced suddenly. "Join my crew!"

"NO WAY!" everyone scolded him.

"He's already part of your crew," Roronoa pointed out.

"Shishishi, oh yeah, I forgot!" Luffy laughed.

Everyone else groaned.

Luffy didn't see what was so wrong about the skeleton guy. He was so amazing, and not just because he was a walking/talking afro skeleton. Didn't they see how he cut down all those bounty hunters? Yeah, he'd wanted to be the one to fight them, but he hadn't seen Brook ever draw his sword, and the thing with ice was pretty awesome. Luffy could tell by the way Zoro kept glancing back at the skeleton's cane-sword that he was trying to figure out how he did it.

"Am I missing something here, Zoro-san?" Brook asked. "Everyone is acting very strange, I can't wrap my brain around it... although as a skeleton, my brain has long since rotted away! Yohohoho, skull joke!"

"Shishishi, skull joke!" Luffy echoed.

Roronoa rolled his eye. "That's why I said you had a lot to catch up on. To make a long story short..."

Roronoa quickly went on to describe what had happened after he and Brook were separated. This included waking up on the Merry and everything he and the past Straw Hats managed to deduce so far. This meant the whole issue with time, Zoro being Roronoa's younger self, and the bounty hunter threat.

"So on top of the fact we're being hunted by bounty hunters and something has happened to Nami-san, what you're saying is that somehow a past version of our crew arrived on this island not long after we did, and they were in the first half in the Grand Line when they did so?!" Brook summarized.

"More or less," Roronoa shrugged. "And when I say past, it's _way_ in the past. To them, Chopper only joined the crew a couple of days ago."

"... Alright then."

"That was a total under reaction!"

"Yohohoho, not really, Zoro-san! I too have noticed the abnormal sunrises and sunsets, so I'm pretty much used to them. But as whole, our crew gets into strange occurrences almost on a daily basis. At this point, nothing phases me!"

Roronoa frowned skeptically. "What about when we met Aokiji in the bathhouse?"

"... Alright, _almost_ nothing phases me," Brook corrected himself. He turned to face the younger crew. "In any case, this does explain why Usopp-san ran from me in the jungle, and why none of you recognize me. I know all of you, but this the first time any of you are meeting me!"

"You... you know who _I_ am?" Vivi asked nervously.

"No, but I can guess. If I recall from what I've read in Nami-san's log book, Chopper-san came aboard before the crew arrived in the sand kingdom of Alabasta. If that's the case, then the lovely blue-haired young lady before me must be none other than Princess Nefertari Vivi!"

Vivi allowed herself a small smile at the compliment. "That's right."

Brook laughed and clapped a bony hand on Roronoa's shoulder. "Yohohoho, our crew seems to befriend many princesses, don't we?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "What? Counting Vivi, we only know, like, two princesses. The second we met not even a week ago."

"Shirahoshi-san was truly a beautiful sight, even for my old eyes. Oh, but I don't have eyes! Yohohoho!"

"Um... Mr. Brook?" Chopper piped up from where he was hiding the wrong way behind Luffy. "If you don't have eyes, how can you see?"

"The same way I hear, Chopper-san."

Chopper just became more confused.

"That doesn't explain anything!" Nami shouted. "And you still haven't introduced yourself!"

"Oh, of course. My apologies." Brook removed his hat and bowed. "My name is 'Dead Bones' Brook, swordsman and musician of the Straw Hat Pirates. A pleasure to meet you all once again!"

Luffy's eyes widened to comical proportions. "You're... my _musician_?"

"Indeed, Luffy-san!"

"Awesome! I finally have a musician!" Luffy cheered.

The rest of the crew's eyes widened as well.

"You mean, we actually found a member of the living undead who was musician..." Usopp began.

"... And actually took him into consideration?" Nami finished.

Sanji turned to glare at Zoro. "I blame you for this."

"Hey!" Zoro protested.

"Actually, you and Nami-san were the ones with Luffy-san when he initially tried to recruit me, Sanji-san," Brook explained.

"So if anything, any blame to give is all on you," Roronoa added.

Sanji couldn't help but think Roronoa didn't have to sound so darn smug when he said that.

"My musician is a talking afro-skeleton! This is officially the best day ever!" Luffy went gleefully. "Hey Brook, do you poop?"

Sanji and Nami whacked their captain in the head. "DON'T ASK HIM THAT!"

"As a matter of fact, I do," the skeleton replied.

Now it was Brook's turned to be whacked. "AND DON'T _YOU_ ANSWER HIM!"

For the second time that day, Brook went crashing into the pink sand. He didn't seem particularly bothered by it though. He just continued to laugh (and the crew couldn't help but like that laugh. It was just so_ happy_). "Yohohoho, how nostalgic! This reminds me of the day I first met Luffy-san!" He stood up once again and bent over Nami. "Pardon me, Nami-san..."

Nami flinched slightly. "Um... yes?"

"... May I see your panties?"

"NEVER, CREEP!"

Make that three times Brook landed in the sand that day, this time courtesy of Nami performing a kick even Sanji had to admit was impressive.

"You kick beautifully, Nami-swan!" Sanji praised.

"SHUT UP, SANJI!"

"Yes, Nami my love~!"

Usopp sweatdropped.

"This is also like the day I met Luffy-san!" Brook exclaimed from his spot on the ground. "_Yohohoho_!"

Nami had to be held back by Vivi at this point, for the navigator was ranting about breaking every bone she could see before her. Vivi, who had already been asked that question, only sighed and kept her friend from killing Roronoa's comrade. (Though technically, he was already dead. Could you kill someone twice?)

"I don't get it," Chopper said. "Why does Brook want to see their underwear so badly?"

Usopp patted his head. "We'll tell you when you're older."

Chopper scowled. He wasn't a little kid; they didn't have to keep treating him like one. He was a man and a pirate!

"Guys, stop hitting my musician!" Luffy shouted. "I just got him and I don't want him broken!"

"Is he your musician or your toy?" Vivi asked with a sweatdrop. Nami finally calmed down and just settled for crossing her arms.

"Quaaaw!" Carue agreed.

Roronoa rolled his eye again, then helped Brook stand. "If Brook's had enough of eating sand, could you excuse us for a second? I need to talk him. In _private_."

Without waiting for an answer, Roronoa dragged Brook past the fallen bounty hunters and pulled him behind a large section of the wrecked ship. Luffy and the gang stared at the direction they went in, all looking puzzled.

"What was that about?" Sanji wondered aloud.

"Must be a future thing, or they would've talked in front of us," Usopp theorized.

Zoro narrowed his eyes skeptically. What was his older self up to...?

* * *

><p><strong>With Brook and Roronoa...<strong>

"Brook, how much of the severity of the situation do you actually understand?" Roronoa asked once they were out of sight.

"Enough to know we've really dug a deep hole for ourselves this time," Brook replied, leaning on his cane. "What possessed you to bring them along? Luffy-san's strong, but if they're from as far in the past as you say, they're not ready for a stage like this yet. New World bounty hunters and Paradise rookies are not a good combination no matter how you look at it."

"You think I don't know that?"

"They're not ready, Zoro-san. If we can't get them to leave, it's going to be Sabaody-"

"I know!" Zoro snapped. He calmed right away. "I know. I tried to get them to back off, but..." He sighed, looking sheepish. "Luffy made it a captain's order that I let them help."

Brook understood immediately. Captain's orders were absolute; a fact Roronoa took very, very seriously.

"Ah, I see," the skeleton said softly. "Loyal to a fault as always, Zoro-san."

Roronoa shot him a glare. "Like you're one to talk."

Brook laughed and Roronoa let himself smile. They all really were too loyal.

"That much hasn't changed about Luffy over the years, at least," Roronoa said somewhat fondly. "If Luffy wants something badly enough, he does everything in his power to get his way. And this time he wanted to help me find our crew."

At his mention of this, Brook glanced around the wreckage, looking at Luffy. Roronoa looked with him. Luffy was currently riding on Carue while chasing Chopper in circles around the beach. He must have gotten bored again.

As far as they could see, Luffy was laughing and having the time of his life. He looked so happy and carefree.

"Luffy-san... looks very different," Brook observed, speaking slowly.

"You noticed too, huh?" Roronoa said as he crossed his arms.

"Yes. You can see it in his eyes. They're... lighter."

Roronoa glanced down. "Yeah... they are."

"...Zoro-san, what if we-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"I do know, and I'm telling you now, we're also under captain's orders not to reveal anything substantial about the future." Roronoa gave the skeleton a stern look. "_Anything_, no matter how much we might want to."

"But if we warned Luffy-san about-" Brook continued.

"Even if we did warn him, there's no guarantee it would change anything," Roronoa interrupted. "And even if it did change _something_, there's no guarantee it would be for the better."

"But-"

"_Brook_. I'm going to be saying the same thing to the others when we find them, so listen carefully. There are just some things you _shouldn't_ mess with, no matter what good intentions you may have. Besides, do you_ really_ want to be one to tell Luffy about _that_?"

Brook didn't reply.

"That's what I thought." Roronoa placed a hand on Brook's bony shoulder. "I understand where you're coming from, but for now, ignorance is best for those guys. Understand?"

Brook sighed, but nodded. "I understand, Zoro-san. I will not say anything about the future, for Luffy-san's sake if nothing else."

The green-haired swordsman nodded as well, satisfied. "Good. Oh, and one more thing. To keep from getting the two of us confused, everyone else has been calling me by my surname. You should probably do the same."

"Roronoa-san it is, then!" the musician agreed, regaining his previous cheerfulness."Now, shall we rejoin the others? They're most likely starting to wonder what's taking us so long, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're frustrated that they can't hear us from way other there. My ears would be strained as well if it were me... not that I have ears! Yohohoho!"

* * *

><p><strong>Back With Luffy and the Crew...<strong>

"What's taking them so long?" Nami grumbled, tapping her foot. "We're on a schedule."

"They've only been over there for five minutes," Vivi pointed out. She was sitting in the sand playing tic-tac-toe with Usopp and Sanji.

Usopp drew a line through three Os. "Ha! I win!"

"No way, you cheated!" Sanji argued.

"I didn't cheat. It's tic-tac-toe, it's impossible to cheat!"

"You found a way!"

"SHUT UP!" Nami barked. She turned to glare at Luffy, who was still chasing Chopper around a Carue. "And Luffy, leave poor Chopper alone! He's not here to relieve your boredom!"

Luffy pouted, but listened and dismounted Carue. Chopper gratefully fell on to his back, exhausted.

"Roronoa was the one who wanted to get searching so badly," Zoro added. He was lying against a big rock. "And now he's holding us up. What an annoyance."

"Uh, Mr. Bushido?" Vivi asked. "You do realize that you're talking about yourself, right?"

"I know," Zoro admitted. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Tell me about it," Sanji agreed. "Roronoa's twice the jerk our Mosshead is. 'I just curb-stomped him'... lousy sword freak."

"You're still mad he threw you into the mast?" Chopper asked.

"He didn't throw me!" Sanji shouted. "He caught me off balance, that's all!"

"Keep telling yourself that, love cook," Zoro snickered. If there was one thing he liked about his older counterpart, it was that he humiliated the cook quite nicely.

"Shut your trap, Mosshead! I'm not in the mood!"

"Who're you calling mosshead, ero-cook?!"

"That does it!"

Nami groaned as Zoro and Sanji began another fight, resting her forehead on Vivi's (who'd stood up just for this purpose) shoulder. "They're never going to grow out of this... are they?"

Vivi patted her head. "Given how Mr. Roronoa keeps trying to bait Sanji... I'm going to say no."

Nami only groaned again.

Luffy walked ahead of the crew and called out, "Oiiiii, Zoro-ossan, Brook! You guys done talking yet?! We're getting bored over here!"

"One more second!" they heard Roronoa call back.

Luffy nodded. "Yosh!"

"That skeleton can just stay over there," Usopp muttered. "I'm still not completely sold on the idea of him. Has everyone forgotten he scared the living daylights out of me and Vivi back in the woods?"

"To be fair... now that I think about it, he didn't really _do_ anything to scare us," Vivi interjected somewhat hesitantly. "Well, except for that inappropriate question. Other than that, all he did was talk to us and we freaked out."

Usopp considered that. Now that he thought about it as well, the princess was correct. Brook didn't do anything to try and frighten them. He'd merely greeted them and they panicked. Brook himself had admitted he didn't understand why Usopp had ran. He actually felt a little bad about how he had reacted, but not too bad though. Deliberate or not, he was a flipping skeleton for crying out loud! Some warning would have been nice!

"Well, Luffy? Despite being an afro zombie-monster, he did take out all those bounty hunters for us. What do you think?" Zoro asked. His and Sanji's scuffle had ended in yet another tie.

Luffy crossed his arms. "If Brook is one of our nakama, then that's that. Who cares if he looks kind of scary? There are loads of monsters on this crew already, so what's one more? Besides, he's cool!"

"Watch who you're calling a monster, crappy rubberhead!" Sanji scolded.

"You _are_ a monster," Usopp pointed out.

"I was talking about Vivi-chan and Nami-swan!"

"I don't know about Vivi, but Nami..." Zoro trailed off.

Sanji kicked the swordsman in the ribs and then began yet another scuffle (two in five minutes. That was a new record). Everyone else decided to just ignore them for the time being until they finished.

"B-Being a monster is okay on this crew, i-isn't it?" Chopper asked timidly, standing up.

Luffy grinned at him. "Shishishi, of course! Especially afro zombie and seven-transformation reindeer-doctor monsters!"

"If Luffy's any indication, anyway," Nami sighed.

Chopper giggled and Vivi patted him on the head.

"Hearing such words warms my heart, Luffy-san! Not that I have heart! Yohohoho!"

The crew turned to see Roronoa and Brook now standing right next to them, both looking mildly amused. The crew members who had been sitting down jumped to their feet, and Zoro and Sanji stopped their duel.

"How long have you two been standing there?" Vivi asked.

"Just got here," Roronoa replied. "I'm done talking to Brook, so we can move on."

"Roronoa-san tells me you're all looking for the ship so we can find Franky-san," Brook said. "I've held you up long enough, so let's be on our way!"

When Brook mentioned the ship, Usopp gained a glum expression. Vivi rested her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"Just hold on, Brook," Nami said. "Before we continue, are you sure there isn't anything you've discovered about this place you can tell us? Like where the rest of your crew may be? Or whether you've seen a little girl who knows about this place around somewhere?"

Brook placed his bony hand where his chin would have been. "Aside from Franky-san, I'm afraid I haven't a clue as to where to find the rest of my nakama. But what's this about a little girl?"

"Zoro-ossan said he met a weird kid in the jungle who knew about the time stuff on the island," Luffy replied. "We figure if we find her, she could tell us something about this place."

Brook tilted his head. "... Zoro-_ossan_?"

"He means me," Roronoa clarified.

Brook stared at Roronoa for a moment, then burst into peals of uncontrollable laughter. He even fell to his knees and beat the ground with his fist.

"Shut up, it's not that funny!" Roronoa yelled. That made Brook laugh even harder. "I said it's _not_ funny!"

"Oh yes it is! _Yohohohohohohoho!_"

"If anyone should be called an old man, it should be you! You're the one who's in his nineties!"

"_Yohohohoho!_ But I'm an immortal skeleton! You have no excuse! _Yohohohohohoho_!"

Roronoa drew his white sword, looking seriously ready to use it on the laughing musician. Zoro found that little odd though.

_He uses his black one when he goes for one-sword-style_, Zoro thought. _Why not on Brook_?

"That's enough," Nami said, getting between the two. "Brook, get up and answer my question."

Roronoa re-sheathed his sword reluctantly, but did not make another attempt to kill the skeleton.

Brook took a few calming breathes (despite not having lungs) and got back on his feet. "I apologize, Nami-san. Anyway, as I said, I'm afraid I don't have any new information for you. I'm just as much in the dark about this island as you. However, when you all mentioned this island is time-challenged, it sounded familiar to me."

"Familiar?" Usopp asked skeptically. "How so?"

"You see, I hail from the West Blue, and in the West Blue, children are often told a fairy tale about an island lost in the waves of time," Brook explained. "The Tale of the Island of Kāla. It's quite popular in that sea."

"Kāla?" Vivi repeated.

_"Our boss is gonna promote us for bringing in the infamous Straw Hat Pirates along with the treasure of Kāla!"_

Vivi gasped. "That's what the tattooed bounty hunter said!"

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Remember?" she prompted. "Mr. Brook, you weren't here, but one of the bounty hunters said he was going to be promoted for turning in the Straw Hat Pirates and the treasure of _Kāla_. I thought it might be a name, but he was actually referring to the island! I thought it sounded familiar as well, and now I remember. I've heard the story too. This island must be Kāla!"

"But Brook just said that island was a fairy tale," Usopp said.

"So are Millennial Dragons, and Devil Fruits are considered myths in the four Blues," Sanji pointed out.

"Oh, good point."

"It's been many years since I heard the story, but I do recall it said there was a treasure hidden somewhere on the island," Brook said helpfully.

"I've read that as well," Vivi added. "But I don't remember much of the story either."

"There's treasure here?" Luffy asked. "What kind of treasure? I hope it's meat!"

"Meat's not treasure, you moron!" Nami said. Her eyes became berry signs. "I bet's it's gold and jewels from all eras of history! We're on a time island, so it makes sense!"

"Gold and jewels? Neato!" Chopper said. "Are we going to look for it? I heard pirates try to find treasure all the time!"

"Of _course_ we're going to look for it!" Nami declared.

"We're _not_ looking for it," Roronoa countered. "You came along because Luffy ordered me to let you aid in searching for my crew. If you want to go on a treasure hunt, do it on your own time."

Nami frowned, feeling a bit guilty. Roronoa was probably worried about his crew (and she knew he was, even if he tried to hide under all that machismo. He _was_ an older Zoro), and she'd wanted to go off to find a treasure that might not even be on the island.

_Curse my generous heart_, she thought. _I'll just have to add on to Zoro's debt to compensate._

And at that moment, Zoro gained the sudden urge to wring that money-grubbing witch's neck. He didn't know why though.

"Sorry Nami, we promised Zoro-ossan we'd help him first. The treasure- that might or might not be meat- is gonna have to wait," Luffy said, patting Roronoa's back. He paused. "Hey, Vivi said these bounty hunters were looking for the treasure too, right? Why are bounty hunters hunting treasure? Shouldn't they be hunting bounties?"

"They were coming after our ship originally," Brook pointed out. "I doubt they were expecting Kāla to appear out of nowhere like it did."

"And if they did, then what's the point of driving us to it?" Roronoa added.

"Hold on," Sanji interrupted. "We're getting ahead of ourselves. As much as I trust Vivi's judgment, we don't even know for sure if this island's actually Kāla."

The group realized that was a fair point. Just because this place reminded Brook of fairy tale didn't mean this was really the place. And only Vivi had heard the bounty hunter supposedly say _Kāla_.

"We don't know," Sanji repeated. He glanced at the fallen bounty hunters, smiling around the cigarette in his mouth. "But I _do_ know how we can find out."

* * *

><p>The last thing Tattoos remembered was hearing the skeleton say he and his men had already been defeated. Then he'd felt bitterly cold and everything went black. The blackness had lasted a long time, until he felt someone shaking his shoulder with what felt like a foot.<p>

"Wakey-wakey, crappy hunter. We need to talk."

Tattoos opened his eyes when the voice spoke, only to wish he hadn't. He was surrounded by Straw Hat Pirates, and none of them looked happy to see him. He tried to stand, but the fact he was still half-frozen with ice made that a little difficult. He settled for sitting up as straight as he could.

"What do _you_ guys want?" he growled. "Can't you leave a guy to die in peace?"

"Stop whining," Black Leg said. "According to Brook, he wasn't even trying to kill you."

"Luffy-san doesn't approve of lethal force when it isn't necessary," Soul King explained further.

"I don't?" Straw Hat asked. "Wow, my future self must be a pretty decent guy!"

Straw Hat was ignored.

"However, if you don't answer our questions, your survival can easily be rectified," Pirate Hunter (the younger one) said sinisterly, partially drawing one of his swords.

"We're not actually gonna kill him, are we?" the pet asked worriedly in a whisper.

Wait, the pet could talk?

Sniper King shushed him. "Shh! You're gonna give away our bluff!"

Tattoos raised an eyebrow. They did realize he could hear every word they were saying, right? He'd heard rumors that the Straw Hats, while dangerous as hell, were not a very bright bunch. It seemed those rumors were true, at least for some of the crew.

"Just ask your questions," Tattoos sighed. "I don't even care anymore."

"That was easy," Cat Burglar commented. "Too easy. How do we know he's not going to lie?"

"He's surrounded by pissed-off pirates, including the two guys who fought him," Pirate Hunter (the older one) stated in deadpan. "For some reason, I think he's smart enough not to be stupid and lie."

Tattoos growled more deeply. "Ask your damn questions already so I can lay here and wait to die."

"Don't be so eager to die," the blue-haired girl said. "Here's our first question. Is this truly the island of Kāla, like the one in the West Blue fairy tale?"

"It is, unless that brat the higher-ups caught is lying," Tattoos replied. "I wouldn't put it past her. According to the reports I've received, she's bitten the boss five times and still refuses to give any substantial information."

The pirates all glanced at each other.

"Sounds like Roronoa's mystery kid has been captured," Black Leg muttered to his crew.

"We'll worry about that later," Sniper King muttered back.

"Hey, you said you were looking for our ship before," Straw Hat broke in. "Why were you looking for it? What'd the Going Merry ever do to you?"

"Luffy, I think it wasn't the ship he wanted, but the pirates who owned it," the blue haired girl said.

"Good, cause Merry's a great ship and you'd better leave her alone!" Straw Hat threatened.

"You bet she is!" Sniper King agreed with a hearty fist-pump.

"Your blue-haired friend is right," Tattoos replied. "We were told to patrol for your ship, in the hope we'd find the rest of your crew."

"The 'rest' of our crew?" the raccoon dog echoed.

"You mean you've encountered more of us?!" Soul King shouted.

"Not me personally, but Miss Erity did say they were having issues with a sniper. Something about a damn coward and damn flytraps."

The elder Pirate Hunter turned to Soul King with a grin. "A coward and flytraps?"

Soul King nodded. "Yohohoho! Sounds like Usopp-san has been keeping busy!"

Sniper King's eyes widened but he didn't say anything. Tattoos couldn't help but wonder how many snipers the crew had. Maybe this Usopp guy was Sniper King's sidekick or something.

"Last question," Cat Burglar said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "The story says the island has some kind of treasure. What is that treasure, and why are a group of bounty hunters looking for it?"

"Nami, Luffy said we weren't going to look for the treasure!" the pet scolded her.

Tattoos didn't hear the pet's scolding though. His mind was still stuck on the girl's question. Treasure... there was something he had to remember about the treasure...

"_...you listening? Good..._"

The treasure... Kāla's treasure was...

"_...Carrion wants our extracurricular activities on the down-low, so he asked me to do this..._"

What did Boss Carrion want...?

"_...if anyone outside of our group ever inquires about the treasure or why we want it, this is what will happen; you will begin to feel a throbbing pain in your temple. It will hurt really bad, and feel like your head is going to split open..._"

Tattoos winced. He _did_ have a throbbing pain in his temple. Where was some aspirin when he needed it...?

"..._but lucky you; in your pocket will be a brand new invention. It's a device that will dispense pain medicine directly into your skull. Just hold it up to your temple and press the button on the handle. It's that easy!_"

Tattoos' hand slid into his pocket and sure enough, the device was there! He really was a lucky man. Maybe now he could get rid of this agonizing headache...

* * *

><p>The Straw Hats had been busy reprimanding Nami for her question (or in Sanji's case, defending her actions), that they didn't notice how eerily quiet Tattoos had become.<p>

That is, until he pulled out a gun.

Carue was the first one who noticed it. He began to quack loudly, hoping to catch someone's attention. Fortunately, he succeeded.

"He's got a gun!" Usopp shouted with alarm.

Before anyone else could react, Luffy swung/stretched his arm out and knocked his crewmates aside, stepping in front of Tattoos in preparation for taking the bullet himself.

However, the bounty hunter didn't turn his gun on the pirates. He calmly lifted it up and placed the tube against his temple.

"He's not-?!" Sanji said with disbelief.

"Stop him!" Chopper cried out. "He's going to-!"

**_BANG!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Somewhere in the jungle of Kāla<strong>

"Runo?" Vaughan asked as he stopped running. "You okay? Why'd you stop running just now?"

Runo was standing several feet behind the red-eyed man, facing the direction Vaughan was pretty the sure the beach was in. For once, Runo was not smiling creepily. In fact, he looked vaguely irritated.

"I'm fine," Runo said blandly. "Why do you ask?"

"The fact you stopped running out of nowhere, you're looking towards the beach, and now have an "I want to punch something" expression."

"Drop dead, Vaughan."

Vaughan leaned against a giant tree root. "Come on, tell me what's got your knickers in a twist."

Runo shrugged. "It's nothing. One of my post-hypnotic suggestions just went off is all."

"And that's a bad thing? I thought you got a sick kick out of your powers being used to make people's lives miserable."

"I _do_. This suggestion just wasn't a personal favorite."

Vaughan rolled his eyes. He had never tried to understand Runo, and he wasn't about to start now. Just as he was about to tell the feral man to get his rear in gear, a ringing came from his coat. Someone was calling him on his baby Den Den.

_Ring ring ring. Ring ring- clank_.

"This is Vaughan-" Vaughan began.

"And Runo!" Runo interrupted.

"-And Runo," the red-eyed man continued. "What's up?"

The transponder snail's mouth moved weirdly, making strange sounds. Were those... explosions?

"Hello?"

"_Vaughan,_" Erity's voice came out of the snail. She sounded extremely pleased with herself. "_Guess what I just found._"

"... a purple-spotted elephant with a diamond tiara?" he guessed.

"... _What? No, of course not. Why would you even-_"

"Just tell me why I keep hearing explosions in the background."

"_Let's just say the guy who's been a constant source of aggravation for me for the past day isn't too happy that I found his hiding spot._" Erity chuckled to herself. "_I'm going to enjoy this._"

"You found the sniper?" Runo asked eagerly. "Perfect! Save a piece for me, okay?"

"_Screw you, Runo. You're not the one who had drag a pair of idiots from the jaws of venus flytraps twelve times. I'm breaking every bone in this guy's body, starting with that stupid nose,_" Erity said grouchily. The snail looked out of place with a snarl. "_Vaughan, make sure I don't see the two of you without some Straw Hats in pursuit. Am I clear?_"

"As a church bell," Vaughan answered.

"_Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. This coward's a sneaky little- HOLY CRAP IS THAT A WOLF OR A PINE TREE?! GOTTA GO!_"

Erity hung up and the Den Den Mushi went back to sleep.

Runo flashed Vaughan a smirk. "You know, I think that fun you mentioned earlier is finally starting. 'Bout time."

Vaughan didn't reply. Instead he sprinted on ahead, not even caring he was leaving Runo behind to wonder what the heck had gotten into him.

_It's starting, alright. Kāla's secret just within my grasp,_ Vaughan thought. He looked up towards the sky. The sun was coming out from behind the clouds. _Better late than never, right Bhanu? It's been waiting for centuries, but what we've worked for is finally becoming a reality_. _And the Straw Hats are my ticket to attaining it_.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"Truthfully, I have no real interest in capturing you, Cat Burglar," Erity sighed, slipping on her other gauntlet. "But if I don't, my boss might start wondering what's up with me, and I do have a reputation to uphold."

Nami swallowed the thick lump in her throat. She had to move. She had to _move_ or this psycho was going to kill her. But... she couldn't. Her legs weren't listening to her.

Erity extended all of the fingers on her right hand, the sun glinting off the clawed gauntlet. "Relax, girlie. I'm not going to kill you. That'd put a huge drop in your bounty."

_Move, damn it,_ Nami scolded herself. _Move, RIGHT NOW_!

Erity stepped forward and drew her arm back. "Sorry, but this is going to hurt. _Go_ _Shi_-"

"GREEN STAR: _SKULL BOMBGRASS_!"


	11. Ire, Liar, and Plants Under Fire

**Disclaimer: I own a bunch of One Piece DVDs, but not the actual franchise.**

**Followers: 177  
>Favorites: 132<br>Reviews...**

**ONE- FLIPPING- HUNDRED!**

**Thank you for all your support, true believers! The next chapter will be a 100 Review Special!**

**Oh, and if any of you are going to be at Anime Mid-Atlantic 2014 on June 13-15, keep an eye out for me. On the second day, I'll be the girl with a really bad Trafalgar Law cosplay (Hopefully. I still need to acquire his hat. I'll check the dealer's room).**

**SBS 1!**

Starting this chapter, I'll be answering a question one of you guys actually ask me, a question I feel like rambling about, or just give random fun facts about the story.

**Chapter Question: _"How'd you get into the gloriousness that is One Piece?"_**

I actually got into it last summer, but that was after months of being asked "Do you watch One Piece?" and replying, "Nah, not my thing." That was a lie. At the time I was asked, I didn't watch it simply because I didn't _feel_ like it. I took it into consideration after finding a picture of Ace on deviantart drawn by an artist named Viria, and looked him up on the internet (spoiling his death for me. Dang it!). That led to looking up Luffy, then Zoro, then Brook... then reading a One Piece fanfiction called Mindshattered... then other fics by the author who wrote it... and by that point I figured I should just watch the darn series before I could spoil anything else for myself.

Best. Decision. Ever.

It's been almost a year later, and I'm still totally obsessed with it. I've become obsessed with different manga and anime before, but those obsessions only lasted two months, tops. Just goes to show how brilliant One Piece is above all the rest.

Only ironically, now when I ask people if _they've_ seen One Piece, they all tell me they've never seen it. That's cosmic revenge for you.

**Now without further adieu, enjoy the new chapter of _Tomorrow's Romance Dawn_!**

**EDIT: I just realized I left a major plot hole. It's fixed now.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 9: Ire, Liar, and Plants Under Fire<span>**

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Beach Next to the Bounty Hunters' Wrecked Ship<strong>

To say the mood took a dip after Tattoos shot himself would be an understatement.

A _vast_ understatement, in fact. The weather was still cloudy and gloomy, so it fit the blackening mood of the crew. Chopper had even started crying, Tattoos killing himself obviously bringing back bad memories. Nami had picked up the little reindeer and taken him a ways down the beach while the boys "cleaned up," so to speak. "Cleaning up" involved going aboard the wrecked bounty hunters ship, finding a life boat that wasn't too badly damaged, and putting Tattoos' (the crew now partially wished they had learned the man's real name) body on it. True, they had no obligation to do anything for their former enemy, but the idea of just leaving the body there on the beach to rot didn't sit well with any of them.

It ended up being a viking funeral. Once they had walked a good distance away from the wreck and the still-unconscious bounty hunter crew, they drenched the boat in gasoline (donated by Usopp), set it aflame, and set it adrift. The pirates then stood on the beach, watching the boat until it disappeared beyond the distant fog.

Nami returned with Chopper in tow.

"Is the lifeboat gone?" she asked.

"Yeah," Usopp replied tiredly. He was surprisingly calm for a coward who just saw a man shoot himself. "Just sailed out sight a couple minutes ago." He looked down at Chopper. "How are you feeling, Chopper?"

Chopper sniffled deeply, wiping his eyes with his hoof. "I'm okay. I just wasn't... expecting that to happen, is all."

None of them had been expecting that to happen, so Usopp could see where the reindeer was coming from.

"If one good thing comes out of all this," Nami said softly. "I now know there seems to be a current leading away from the island, just like the one that brought us here. That's how the life boat got out so far so fast."

"So when we finally leave, we can just ride that current out of here?" Sanji asked.

"That's the idea, but taking Roronoa's presence into account, there's no telling where or when the fog will spit us out."

"So basically we're stuck here until we know for sure," Zoro summarized.

"In a nutshell," the navigator sighed. She turned to Vivi. "Sorry, Vivi. It might take even longer to get you home than before."

Vivi looked at her and nodded. "It's okay, Nami, really." She turned her head back towards the sea. "At the moment, we have other things to worry about."

"You mean with what just happened?" Roronoa asked.

"Yes," the princess replied. "It makes no sense. Why would Tattoos just up and kill himself out of nowhere?"

"He did keep telling us to just let him die," Sanji pointed out. "Maybe he decided to speed up the process."

"No."

Everyone looked at their captain. His straw hat was shadowing his eyes, making them hard to see.

"No," Luffy repeated. "Killing yourself is desperate and cowardly. Tattoos took on Zoro-ossan without so much as blinking. He wasn't desperate, and he sure as hell wasn't cowardly."

"Luffy-san is correct," Brook agreed. "Take my word for it, only a man who believes he has nothing left to live for contemplates dying. He fears living with his regrets. Tattoos-san may have said to leave him there to die, but you could tell he had no regrets. He was just a sore loser."

Roronoa shot Brook a side glance at his words, but said nothing.

"Usopp, you were the one who noticed him pulling out the gun first," Vivi said. "Did you notice anything strange?"

"Actually, it was Carue who noticed first," Usopp admitted. Normally, he would have tried to play up his involvement to make himself look good, but he wasn't in the mood for that right now. "I only looked when he starting quacking his head off."

"Quaaw!" Carue quacked, waving his wings frantically. "Quaaw quaaw, quaw quaw quaw!"

"'Right after Nami asked her question, Tattoos got this weird look on his face,'" Chopper said. "He says."

Everyone stared at the doctor for a moment, before remembering that Chopper was technically an animal himself.

"Oh, yeah. You can talk to other animals, right?" Nami asked. "I forgot about that."

"Keep translating for Carue, Tony," Vivi prompted him.

Carue went into another series of upset quacks, and Chopper translated when he finished.

"'It was really calm, and his eyes were all glassy. They looked like Luffy's eyes when he got caught in rice-cracker girl's Color Trap,'" Chopper translated.

"Rice-cracker girl?" Sanji echoed.

"It was when you were goofing off back on Little Garden," Zoro said. "A member of Baroque Works had the ability to hypnotize people using different colors. She got Luffy good a couple of times. Her name was... Miss Silver Day?"

"Goldenweek," Nami corrected.

"I don't care what her name is; not like I'm sending her a get-well card any time soon."

"But why call her rice crack- hey wait a minute!" Sanji protested. "I wasn't goofing off! I was procuring that Eternal Pose to Alabasta! Get it right, Algae Noggin!"

"Not the point," Roronoa interrupted before a fight could ensue. "Going off Carue's description, it sounds like Tattoos was in a trance when he pulled the trigger."

"You mean someone_ hypnotized_ him into killing himself?" Chopper asked in horror.

"Can a hippotist really do that?" Luffy asked, crossing his arms. "Besides rice-cracker girl, there was that weird guy back on Usopp's island who could do that to people. Only they got all stronger and stuff. They didn't die."

"_Hypnotist,_ Luffy," Nami corrected. "Not _hippotist_."

"A hippotist is person who can transform people into hippos," Usopp lied seriously.

"Seriously?!" Luffy and Chopper gasped.

Usopp just grinned in reply. Chopper and Luffy jumped around him and demanded to know more, at least until Nami knocked the latter on the head and simply told the former to calm down. (Though afterwards, she gave Usopp a grateful smile. His lie broke the reindeer and the captain out of their respective funks, and helped break the gloomy mood in general, which had probably been his intention in the first place.)

"That doesn't explain why he killed himself just then," Vivi said, placing her hand on her chin. "I don't see anyone around here who could have hypnotized him, unless they're hiding."

"They're not," Roronoa said. "We're the only ones on the beach, and I don't sense anyone hiding out in the jungle. At least not nearby."

"If Tattoos-san's eyes became glassy right after Nami-san asked her question, as Carue-san says," Brook added. "Then if my own knowledge of hypnotism is correct, perhaps the hypnotist left behind a post-hypnotic suggestion."

"I've heard of those," Sanji said. "That's when a hypnotist tells you to do something, but only when your hear a certain word or sound."

"Like hypnotizing a volunteer to cluck like a chicken every time he hears a bell ring?" Nami asked.

"Precisely," Brook answered. "Nami-san had just asked about the island's possible treasure when the bounty hunter went into a trance, so that most likely was the trigger phrase."

"I guess whoever's leading the bounty hunters clearly doesn't want word about the treasure getting around," Zoro said. "Hell of a way to shut up any possible leaks, though."

"So not only do we have the missing future crew, being unable to leave the island, Roronoa's kidnapped mystery kid, and treasure-hungry bounty hunters to worry about, but to add a cherry on top, we have to keep an eye out for a master hypnotist that can even convince people to kill themselves," Usopp sighed, sitting down in the sand wearily. "What's next? Is the island going to _blow up_?"

_**KA-BOOM!**_

The loud explosion resonated throughout the jungle, reaching the ears of the gathered pirates. They looked in the direction the sound had come from, and saw a giant cloud of pink smoke rising from the jungle in the distance. The cloud formed a distinct mushroom shape bordering on taking the form of a skull.

"Oh no, the island _is_ blowing up!" Chopper screamed.

Sanji gave Usopp a dirty glare. "You just _had_ to jinx us, didn't you, Long Nose."

"Hey, don't blame me!" Usopp hollered, standing up. "I wasn't expecting an explosion to go off the minute I said that!"

"Ooh, ooh, Usopp! Maybe if you say 'Is food going to start raining down from the sky?', food _will_ start raining down from the sky!" Luffy suggested. "Try it!"

"Somehow I doubt that's going to work," Zoro pointed out. "Try making it rain booze. Rain and alcohol are both liquids, right?"

"Luffy! Mr. Bushido!" Vivi scolded. "Now's not the time!"

"You're all being ridiculous!" Nami shouted at the boys. "Usopp didn't cause that explosion to go off, so stop being moronic!"

"Actually, maybe he did," Roronoa spoke up, mostly to himself.

Nami looked at the elder swordsman. "I beg your pardon?"

Roronoa ignored her, then turned towards Brook. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Brook nodded. "Yes. Unless my eyes are deceiving me (though I have none), that smoke definitely looks like the remains of one of Usopp-san's attacks."

"Yeah, you're right. That's Usopp's bombgrass, or whatever it is he calls it," Roronoa agreed. He smirked. "Tattoos _did_ say they were having issues with a cowardly sniper."

This made Brook laugh loudly.

"Uh, future guys?" Usopp interrupted. "How can you be so sure that explosion was future me just because of some smoke?"

"Your future self uses a... _unique_ form of ammunition, Usopp-san," Brook replied. "We'd recognize it anywhere."

Usopp raised an eyebrow in interest. He'd become interested in learning what kind of sniper he was in the future. Hadn't that one bounty hunter lackey who read off the wanted posters called him 'Sniper King?'

"So good news: we now have at least a semblance of an idea where to find another member of Roronoa and Brook's crew," Sanji said, lighting a fresh cigarette. "Bad news: given an explosion is our only indicator, he's most likely fighting off one the bounty hunters as we speak."

"Usopp's in trouble?!" Luffy gasped. He turned toward the jungle. "DON'T WORRY USOPP, I'M COMING!"

"Luffy, wait a-!" Roronoa began to protest.

It was too late. The rubber captain went tearing into the woods, with only the goal of protecting his nakama in mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Jungles of Kāla<strong>

Roronoa shoved a vine out of his way. "You know, I blame the cook for this."

"Huh, why's that, Roronoa?" Chopper asked.

"If he hadn't opened his big mouth, Luffy wouldn't have taken off like that."

"I'm right here you know, Mosshead!" Sanji barked.

Roronoa ignored him.

"I think you're giving Luffy too much credit," Nami disagreed with the swordsman. "I'm surprised he went this long without just charging into the jungle."

After Luffy took his impromptu venture into the jungle, the assembled pirates agreed maybe it was time to reevaluate their original decision not to split up. One group would enter the foliage and search for their captain (and future Usopp, to a lesser extent), while the second group would continue looking for Franky and the ship. Only this time around, the second group would return to the Going Merry and search from the water. They weren't taking any chances with another attack on the beach. With the bounty hunters' ship gone, the waters were safe, relatively anyway. Nami even gave them instructions on how to avoid the current leading away from the island.

And so not to contradict Roronoa's "no fighting without permission" condition, one future Straw Hat would be in each group. Brook would go with the Merry-bound group (after being given explicit instructions about Roronoa's condition), and Roronoa would leave with the jungle group. Roronoa actually had wanted to go into the jungle alone, but Nami reminded him he could get lost on the _Merry_, never mind a big jungle. Then Chopper pointed out Roronoa was still injured and his fight with the bounty hunters agitated his shoulder.

And _then_ Sanji had wanted to be on Nami's team (though that didn't mean he loved Vivi any less!), but Usopp complained that her team already had Roronoa and would have Luffy next; his team need some powerhouses too!

"Not that the Great Captain Usopp can't handle a surprise attack!" Usopp had said. "In fact, I once fought off a surprise attack from an army of two-headed swordsmen when I was just two years old..."

Ignoring the ridiculous lie, Nami had argued her team was more likely to be attacked by the bounty hunters then the Merry-bound group, so they needed Sanji more (elating the chef greatly). Zoro was placed into Brook's group to compensate.

In the end, the groups looked something like this:

**Going Merry Retrieval and Shipwright Location Team:** Brook, Usopp, Zoro, Vivi, and Carue.

**Luffy/Eventual Future Usopp/Roronoa's-Mystery-Kid-If-We-Happen-To-See-Her Search and Rescue Team:** Roronoa, Nami, Chopper, Sanji, and Luffy (when they found him and knocked his lights out for being so stupid).

Once that was settled, the two groups went their separate directions. The second group was now currently deep into the jungle, attempting to locate and retrieve their impulsive captain.

Which actually wasn't as hard they thought it would be. All they had to do was follow the path of destruction Luffy had created by punching through whatever got in his way; usually bushes and the occasional giant tree root. Also Chopper was lending a hand (or hoof) by using his enhanced sense of smell.

"I still can't believe how big the trees here are," Chopper said with wonder. He was in Walk Point, once again playing the role of the pack mule. "They're even bigger than the evergreens back on Drum. I wonder why they grow this way."

"Probably because of the environment," Roronoa commented. "I wouldn't be surprised if this place's ecosystem differed from other islands."

The reindeer nodded. It sounded like a plausible explanation. Roronoa walked a little farther ahead with Chopper, before the pair realized Sanji and Nami weren't following.

Chopper stopped and turned around. "Sanji? Nami?"

"You guys coming?" Roronoa asked.

Sanji and Nami stared at Roronoa in disbelief.

"... Why are you staring at me like I'm crazy?"

"... Since when do you know so much about plants?" Nami asked.

"Don't tell me you've taken up botany," Sanji added.

Roronoa rolled his eye. "I don't and I haven't. I just remember Robin saying something like that awhile back. I figure if it was true then, it's true now."

The crew began following Luffy's trail again. Nami walked in the front of the group, occasionally jotting down in a little notebook.

"This Robin sounds like she's really smart," Nami said.

"She is," Roronoa said with a nod. "She's an archaeologist."

"Not that I'm complaining about another gorgeous lady being on the crew," Sanji said. "But what does archaeology have to do with piracy?"

"That's a question you'd have to ask Luffy. You know, assuming we find both him and his older self."

Nami frowned. "Going off your description of your crew, I'm guessing Luffy hasn't outgrown running off without giving everyone else's opinions any consideration?"

"You mean Luffy does this _often?_" Chopper asked.

Sanji gave a tired sigh. "_Very_ often."

"_Extremely_ often," Roronoa added. He smirked. "You guys are in for a lot of gray hairs in the coming years."

That thought gave the past Straw Hats (save Chopper) a sense of dread, so they continued on in silence. Nami continued to write down notes down in her notebook, to a point where she was finally asked about it.

"What's that you got there, Nami?" Chopper asked.

"I figured if we were going traipsing through the jungle anyway, I should take some notes of the topography," the navigator answered. "I told the guys earlier I wanted to make a map of this place, and it looks like I'll get to do just that."

"Oh Nami, you're so beautiful when you're trying to accomplish your dream!" Sanji cooed, hearts in his eyes.

"Cough cough-_whipped_-cough cough," Roronoa faked-coughed into his fist.

Sanji shot him a baleful glare. "Mind your own business. Nobody was talking to you, Zoro-_ossan_."

"Your future self is twenty one too you know," Roronoa pointed out in deadpan. "And last time I checked, aren't you older than me by a few months?"

Sanji hated it when Zoro (or this case, Roronoa) had a point. He quickly thought up a retort. "But _I'm_ not my older self. I'm still nineteen, thus making _you_ the older one, and therefore the old man!"

Roronoa looked at Sanji from over his shoulder. "Then maybe I should have you call me Roronoa-_sempai._"

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, MOSS-" Sanji began to holler.

"Wait a second," Nami interrupted, ceasing her stride. "Roronoa, you remember that conversation?"

"About our ages? Yeah," he replied, also stopping. "Only because it was the day we learned Ero-Cook was_ barely_ older than me. Why do you ask?"

"The subject of our ages only came up then because we saw the island," Nami explained.

Chopper gasped in realization. "And Roronoa doesn't remember ever coming here!"

Sanji gave Roronoa a pointed look that clearly said _explain that one, sword freak_.

Roronoa scowled. "I remember that conversation, but I don't remember _why_ we got into it. All I recall from that day is that one moment Chopper's telling us Nami's not sick anymore, the next we're discussing our ages for some reason. We all thought it was weird, but looking back, we just dismissed it and went on with our day. Two days after that we arrived in Nanohana."

"Hmm..." Nami thought aloud. "This doesn't make sense..."

"What doesn't make sense? The whole not-remembering thing?" Chopper asked.

"Didn't we think up the possibility that history's changed somehow?" Sanji said, lightly chewing on his cigarette. "Like we weren't supposed to come to this island but did anyway?"

"That's what doesn't make sense," Nami started to clarify. "The whole _reason_ we had that stupid age debate was because we saw the island and Usopp started bragging about conquering haunted islands when he was five. If Roronoa doesn't remember us ever _seeing_ Kāla, much less coming here..."

"... Then I shouldn't remember ever having that conversation," Roronoa finished for her. "You're right, I don't remember ever seeing or coming here. I shouldn't have memories of the discussion we had about our ages."

"So my theory was wrong," Chopper sighed. "Sorry guys."

"That's okay, Chopper. It was a good theory," Nami assured him. She groaned. "Ugh, this is like one giant puzzle! I usually like puzzles, but this is getting ridiculous!"

"It's okay, Nami. No one expects you or anyone else to figure it out all in one day," Sanji said. He exhaled some smoke. "I think for now we should focus on one thing at time, like Luffy. Who wants to bet he's covered more ground in the time it's taken us to have this little brainstorm session?"

"For once, the cook is right," Roronoa agreed. "I want find Luffy before he finds one of those bounty hunter 'higher-ups' Tattoos told me about. Chopper, can you still track his scent?"

Chopper sniffed the ground. "Luffy's scent is still very fresh. I should be able to-"

The reindeer paused, a confused expression gracing his features.

"Chopper?" Sanji said. "What is it?"

"Luffy's scent... is not the only one here," the doctor answered. "There's two others. One smells like.. spices? Yeah, spices... and roses. The other smells like gunpowder..." He gasped. "That's Usopp's scent!"

"Usopp smells like spices and roses?" Roronoa asked. He scoffed. "Geez, you think you know a guy..."

Chopper shook his head. "No, I meant the _gunpowder_ smell is Usopp's!"

"Usopp said he only went into the jungle when he heard Brook, but that was back near the Merry," Nami pointed out. Her eyes widened "Then that scent must belong to-!"

That was when the trees began to topple over.

* * *

><p>Naturally, trees don't topple over at random (unless they have Sudden Oak Death, but these trees were not oaks). It appeared some glowing slice went through the air, cutting through the thick trunks just as neatly as any sword. While interesting to see, it did pose a problem for the jungle-trek group.<p>

Because no matter how you look at, getting squished by a falling tree is a pretty stupid end for the future Discoverer of All Blue, World's Greatest Swordsman, Maker of the World Map, and Creator of a Panacea.

As the first tree plummeted toward the group, Sanji jumped into the air and drove his foot into it, succeeding in kicking it away. Unfortunately, the effort caused a shooting pain to spread throughout his entire leg. He tried to bite back a groan of pain, but didn't do a good job in doing so.

"Oi, Cook!" Roronoa called up to him. "You can't kick them all away! Run!"

Normally, Sanji would have argued with the swordsman, but he decided now was not a good time. He proceeded to run as fast he could out of the path of the falling trees, second to Chopper's pace. (Dang, that reindeer could run.) Luckily, while some of the trees fell quickly, others fell quite slowly. It wasn't until Sanji far enough away that he wouldn't be squashed did he notice Roronoa hadn't been running along with them.

Sanji skidded to a halt. "Where's Roronoa?"

Chopper also ceased running, looking frantically from side to side. It wasn't until he turned around did he shout, "There!"

Sanji turned and groaned. Roronoa was still in the path of the falling trees! Only for some reason, he had all of his swords drawn, and seemed to have taken a battle stance.

"What are you _doing_, Algae Brain!" Sanji shouted over to the swordsman. "Get out of there before you-!"

"_108 Caliber Phoenix!_"

Sanji's jaw dropped and his cigarette fell from his mouth. Roronoa merely slashed the air with his blades, but the motion created some sort of... vacuum that practically glowed, not too unlike the slash that got them into this predicament. Though this single, curving slash cut through the falling trunks more neatly and efficiently than the previous one. The falling trees all broke into multiple piece and fell to either side of the jungle, leaving a path that only covered Luffy's trail minimally.

Roronoa scanned his work, then sheathed all three swords. "Alright, you can come back now."

Sanji and Chopper both gaped.

"Should it be physically possible to be that cool?" Chopper whispered.

"I... don't know, Chopper," was all Sanji could get out. "I don't know."

The cook and reindeer slowly made their way back to Roronoa, who was examining the sliced-up trees critically.

Sanji cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "So Mr. Fancy Swords, you were able to predict all my attacks back on the Merry and those cannonballs, so why didn't you see this coming?"

"Sanji!" Chopper gasped. Vivi wasn't there to scold him, so he would do it.

"Because, Lord of the Swirls, that attack wasn't directed at me. It was random," Roronoa replied with just as much condescension. He turned to face the cook. "If the attacker doesn't know where his attack is going to end up, then I'm not going to know."

"That actually makes sense," Sanji muttered. "You never make sense. Just what the _heck_ happened to you in the last two years, Roronoa?"

"You don't want to know. Moving on. We all agree it was a flying slash attack that cut through the trees, right?"

"Yeah, it was kind of like what you did just now," Chopper agreed, reverting to Brain Point and setting everyone's stuff on the ground. "Is that what it's called? A flying slash attack?"

"Yeah. It's part of a skill set known as 'The Powers of Destruction,'" Roronoa replied. "But that slash didn't come from a sword. I would be able to tell if it did."

Sanji's brain was still on the 'Powers of Destruction' bit. Predicting attacks, cutting steel, chopping a galleon in half, and now flying slash attacks? If _Zoro_ of all people progressed this much in just two years, what did that say for the rest of their crew? "If it didn't come from a blade, where did it come from?"

Roronoa narrowed his eye, as if deep in thought.

_The man jumped up before balancing on his swords and kicking out both his legs. The motion created two glowing slashes, racing towards the green haired swordsman. The latter quickly used two of his own swords to deflect the attack, sending the slashes into the door behind him._

_The first man got back to his feet. A second later, surrounding pillars and bookshelves collapsed, slashed neatly in two._

_The first man, that square-nosed freak, smiled smugly. "Sorry; I use four swords."_

"... It came from something I haven't seen in a long time," Roronoa said at last. "Which means this just got a whole lot more dangerous for you guys. We need to find Luffy and get out of here."

Sanji contemplated asking what he meant by that, but something in Roronoa's tone made the question die in his mind. "Right. Chopper, Nami-swan, let's-"

All three men froze.

They knew they had been forgetting something.

"Um, guys?" Sanji said.

"Yes?" Chopper and Roronoa answered.

"Where's Nami-swan?"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Jungles of Kāla, Away from Roronoa and the Others<strong>

Nami didn't know why the trees had started falling, and she didn't care. All she had to know what that she wasn't going to let herself be flattened by an over-sized piece of wood.

She ran as fast as she could, trying to escape the descending timber. She didn't stop running until she could no longer hear the crashing booms of trees hitting the jungle floor.

She came to a halt next to one of the giant tree roots, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "I think that's far enough, guys. Any idea why the trees started to- guys?"

She looked around. There were giant trees, vines, flowers, and few insects, but no Sanji, no Roronoa, and no Chopper. She was all alone. None of the surrounding scenery looked familiar. That way she had come was suddenly blocked by more trees that definitely had not been there before.

Nami fell to her knees. "Oh no. Please don't tell me..."

Nami... was _lost_.

Nami, the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, the mapmaker, and one of the only people on the freaking crew with any kind of sense of direction, was _lost_.

"No, I _CAN'T_ BE LOST!" Nami shrieked. "I'M THE NAVIGATOR, DAMMIT! I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO GET LOST! _EVER_!"

But here she was... completely lost. _And she knew why_.

"It's _their_ fault," Nami hissed to herself. "Zoro _and_ Roronoa's. Zoro already has a terrible sense of direction, but with Roronoa here, that defect has been amplified and it rubbed off on _me_."

Nami jumped to her feet, flames of vengeance flickering around her form. Those brainless swordsmen were going to _pay_ for this!

"JUST YOU WAIT, RORONOA ZORO! I'M GOING TO INCREASE YOUR DEBT SO MUCH IT'LL TAKE YOU A THOUSAND YEARS TO PAY IT ALL OFF! NOTHING SHORT OF YOUR FIRSTBORN CHILD WILL SATISFY ME! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, ZORO?! YOU ARE SO-"

"Geez, I feel sorry for the poor fool who earned your ire."

Nami's rant became stuck in her throat at sound of the rich female voice. She looked over her shoulder.

The speaker was standing across from her, leaning against one of the tree trunks and crossing her arms. She did not look happy.

She was a curvy, athletic woman; very tall and looking to be 29 or 30. She wore a sleeveless vine-and-flower-print cheongsam with long slits going down the sides, and loose pants tied off around the ankles underneath. She also wore white socks and black slippers, and her ears were pierced with simple silver hoops. On her right arm was a tattoo of a jolly roger- a skull with two curved arrow-headed swords behind it, resembling horns. And of course, her most striking feature was her long blonde mohawk. Some of the hair in the front fell on to her forehead, but the rest curved to toward the back of her head and fell to just past her shoulders.

Add the aforementioned description on top of the fact she had a pair of clawed metal gauntlets tied around her waist, and you got the appearance of someone who you did not want to mess with.

Nami was no exception.

The woman raised one manicured eyebrow. "You do know talking to yourself is a sign of insanity, right? Like I don't have enough crazy people to deal with."

Nami turned fully around to face the woman. "Who... who are you?"

"I don't suppose you've seen a long nosed coward in goggles come by this way, have you?" the woman asked, ignoring the question.

Nami scowled, though on the inside she was freaking out. This had to be one of the bounty hunters. "Depends. Why do you want to know?"

The woman ran a hand irritably through her mohawk. "Because he's been nothing but a source of irritation and stress for me since we got to this stupid island. Do you have _any_ idea how_ repetitive_ freeing your teammates from the clutches of giant venus flytraps _gets_? Let me tell you sister, it's. Not. _Fun_."

Nami sweatdropped. Wow, this lady could complain.

"I'm_ this_ close to catching him, though," she went on. "And when I do... _oh,_ there will be _comeuppance_."

Nami cocked her head to one side. "Comeuppance?"

"Yeah, comeuppance. You know, revenge? Retribution?"

Nami stared at her.

"It's a word!" the lady huffed.

"I believe you. Sorry, but I don't know where this long nosed coward is."

Maybe if Nami could make her think she wasn't one of the pirates she was hunting, she would leave and give the navigator time to locate Roronoa and the others. It was worth a shot.

The lady smiled thinly. "Oh, but I think you do... Cat Burglar Nami."

Nami groaned inwardly. Darn it!

The woman smirked, crossing her arms. (Now, if this were occurring the this actual manga or anime, now would be when an Oda-box would appear. Here's one for your benefit.)

_"__Gauntlet" Erity_

_Second Lieutenant of the Carrion Bounty Hunters_

Erity pulled a wanted poster seemingly from nowhere. She held it up. "My name's Erity, and I have to say, you look remarkably similar to how you did two years ago."

Nami eyes bugged out when she saw the poster.

"CAT BURGLAR" NAMI

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

16,000,000 BERRIS

_Why does my picture look like a pin-up photo from some dirty magazine?!_ Nami thought in horror. _Why do I even _have_ a bounty? What did I _do_ to warrant such a high amount_?

"Well, no matter," Erity continued, putting the poster away. "I don't know how you got away from Runo, or how you managed to snap out of it, _or_ why you thought cutting that pretty long hair would keep me from recognizing you. Personally, I don't really care. That hypno-freak is a total moron, so I wouldn't put this form of incompetence past him. Point being, while you're not that annoying sniper, I do have a job to complete. I can forget about him for now and focus on other ventures."

Nami remembered Roronoa's condition. She was not to fight any of the bounty hunters without permission. The navigator turned heel and began to dart away from the mohawked woman.

"They always run," Erity sighed. "_Soru._"

Erity disappeared from where she was standing, and reappeared in front of the ginger-haired girl. She was close enough that Nami could smell her rose scented perfume.

Nami skidded to a stop. "What the-!"

Erity smiled and rammed her knee into the navigator's gut. Nami choked out blood and went tumbling across the ground, finally stopping once she hit a tree trunk.

Erity wasn't finished, however. She jumped into the air and kicked out her leg. "_Rankyaku!_"

Nami frantically got to her feet, ignoring the protesting pain in her gut. She jumped away from the tree she had crashed into, and just in time too. Erity's kick created some sort of glowing slash, which cut through the tree like butter. It toppled over, and was about to crush the female bounty hunter.

"_Geppo!_"

Erity lept into the air... and stayed there. Nami eyes widened as she watched Erity kick her away through the air, easily avoiding the tree she knocked over.

"She... can _fly_?' Nami gasped.

The navigator was so busy gaping she didn't notice that Erity was heading directly towards her.

"_Geppo_," Erity said. "_Soru!_"

Erity flashed-stepped forward, once again appearing directly in front of Nami. The navigator, however, did snap out of it in time to quickly assemble her wooden bo-staff. She swung towards the mohawked woman's head.

Erity rolled her eyes. "_Tekkai_."

The staff connected with Erity's head, and promptly snapped in half.

Nami paled and broke out into a sweat, falling to her knees for the second time that day.

"Seriously? You're done already?" Erity asked. She sounded disappointed as she slipped on one of her gauntlets. "And here I was, looking forward to fighting Nami, the Master of the Art of Weather, that my associates were raving about."

Nami had nothing to say to that. She was still in shock. This woman had broken her bo staff- that weapon that had served her so reliably over the years- by _not even moving_. Was this what it meant to be a traveler of the New World? To be able walk in the sky, to move so fast you cannot to be seen, to destroy trees just by _kicking the air_? This woman was nothing like the hunters on the beach. They'd put in an effort; Erity looked _bored. _She looked like how Roronoa did when he beat Sanji.

_"Okay, you know what? Forget it. I'm not wasting my time fighting someone weaker than me."_

Roronoa had said that right before his curb-stomping of Sanji.

Erity clearly had no such issue.

"Truthfully, I have no real interest in capturing you, Cat Burglar," Erity admitted, slipping on her other gauntlet. "But if I don't, my boss might start wondering what's up with me, and I do have a reputation to uphold."

Nami swallowed the thick lump in her throat. She had to move. She had to _move_ or this psycho was going to kill her. But... she couldn't. Her legs weren't listening to her.

Erity extended all of the fingers on her right hand, the sun glinting off the clawed gauntlet. "Relax, girlie. I'm not going to kill you. That'd put a huge drop in your bounty."

_Move, damn it,_ Nami scolded herself. _Move, RIGHT NOW_!

Erity stepped forward and drew her arm back. "Sorry, but this is going to hurt. _Go_ _Shi_-"

"GREEN STAR: _SKULL BOMBGRASS_!"

Nami felt a cord wrap around her waist several times and yank her away from the female bounty hunter. A second later, the woman was enveloped in an explosion that left behind a pink mushroom cloud of smoke. Erity's screaming could be heard quite audibly.

Nami watched the smoke cloud billow up towards the sky. If she hadn't been pulled away, she would have been caught up in that. But who...

"HA!" a male voice behind her gloated. "Take _that,_ you CP9 reject! That'll show you to mess with the sniper and navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

Nami felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Up on your feet, Nami!" the hand's owner ordered. "That won't keep her down for long, trust me!"

Nami let herself be dragged into a run. She was too numb from shock to argue. As they ran, Nami kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see Erity coming up behind, pissed as hell. So far, no sign of her.

"Glad you're alright, Nami!" her rescuer was saying, shoving vines out of the way while he ran. "I was worried about you, Sanji, and Chopper when I saw that feral whackjob make off with the three of you! You have to tell me how you escaped!"

Nami's tongue felt like lead. She couldn't respond.

"But I have to ask, why weren't you putting up a fight against Erity?" he went on. "I didn't go through the trouble of fine-tuning your Clima-tact just so you could _not_ use it. It took a really long time, too! Seriously, what did you let those old fogies on Weatheria _do_ to it?"

Nami had had enough. She stopped running and pulled her hand out of the man's grasp. This allowed her to finally get a good look at the person who saved her form Erity.

He stopped running as well, lowering a pair of goggles from his eyes. "Nami? You okay? That woman didn't hurt you, did she?"

Nami's stomach still ached from getting kneed and her mouth still held the metallic taste of blood, but that didn't concern her at the moment. She just stared at the man.

He was a few inches taller than her, and at least a year older. He wore a pair of yellow rolled-up pants, red suspenders, and brown boots. He also wore a pair of orange-and-white striped goggles with red lenses (now hanging around his neck), orange headphones over his ears, a blue-and-white striped armband, and a white wide-brimmed hat. Over his shoulder was a red satchel, and in his hand was an oddly shaped black slingshot. He had black, extremely curly hair pulled back into a tight, poofy pony tail, and a small goatee on his chin. The man was also fairly muscular. Not super big muscles like Roronoa's, but still pretty well developed.

However, it was the man's ridiculously long nose that announced his identity to Nami.

"Nami?" he repeated.

"... _Usopp_?" she croaked.

The man... _Usopp_... crossed his arms. "Yeah?"

"Oh... my... lord..." Nami stuttered out. She pointed at him. "YOU'RE ALL _MANLY_!"

"WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT LIKE YOU'RE _SURPRISED_?!" Usopp hollered back indignantly. He paused. "Hey, did you get a haircut?" He looked her up and down. "And shorter?"

"Um, well, _Usopp_..." Nami said slowly. "I may have a few things to fill you in on."

Before she could begin what would be an extremely long explanation, they heard loud crashes coming from the direction they left Erity.

"COME ON OUT AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN, SNIPER KING!" they could hear her scream. "BECAUSE WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, YOU WON'T BE ONE ANYMORE!"

"Ouch," Usopp whispered with a shiver. "She recovered quicker than last time." He looked in his satchel. "I'm almost out of Pop Greens, but I still have plenty of other ammunition left. I can still hold her off provided you lend a hand with your Clima-tact. But it's better we don't let her catch up. She's a hell of a person to shake off."

"If you know a way to fight her, I'd be more than happy to listen," Nami said. "Just one question though."

"Yeah?"

"What's a Pop Green, and what's a Clima-tact?"

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

100 Review Special: Omakes Galore!

_How did Erity's headache first begin?_

_How did the Future Straw Hats arrive on the island?_

_And so much more!_


	12. 100 Review Special

**I have reached 118 reviews. You have made me the happiest girl on Fanfiction.**

**To thank you, I have written a 100 Review Special. I will do one of these each time I breach a multiple of 100. **

**NOTE: I just realized I left in a slight plot hole last chap. If future Nami is supposed to be captured, and Erity thinks past Nami is future Nami, why didn't she say anything? The plot hole has been fixed now, though.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>100 Review Special: Omakes Galore! 5 Brand New Stories Relating to <em>Tomorrow's Romance Dawn!<em>**

* * *

><p><em><strong>1: The 1st of 12 (Or 13, Depending On Who You Ask)<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Time: Not Long After the Prologue<br>******Location: Jungles of Kāla**

"Did you _see_ the look on Vaughan's face back there?" Runo snickered, jumping over a smaller giant tree root. "Bet you he wasn't expecting to land brat-watching duty."

"He volunteered afterwards," Erity pointed out.

"Whatever. That look was still epic."

The mohawked woman crossed her arms. "I _still_ think you rigged that coin toss. You know cheating is frowned upon is most circles, right?"

"Stop complaining. Nobody wants to hear it," Yari sighed, using her closed parasol as a walking stick. "Besides, he did not cheat. He simply used a process of succeeding through alternative methods.'"

"Yeah. It's called _cheating._"

(Gamma Unit had the common sense to remain in the back of the hunting troop. It was better to leave the higher-ups to their bickering than get involved. Besides, they were planning to mutiny later anyway.)

Runo stuck his tongue out at her. "You're a hypocrite. You're just as happy that you didn't get saddled with babysitting as the rest of us."

Erity rolled her eyes and chose to walk ahead of the 'Creepy Duo', as she and Vaughan had dubbed them. She already had a headache from trying to figure how it had been day when they arrived, then night only an hour later, then day again. She didn't need another one from listening to those two freaks. (Not to mention that continuing to engage in conversation with them would inevitably lead to her admitting to Runo he was right. Erity _detested_ children.) She wasn't paid enough for this kind of pain.

It was in that moment Erity gained a strange feeling. It sent a crawl up her spine, and she didn't like it. She stopped walking to wait for it to pass, but it seemed like it wasn't doing that anytime soon.

"Hey guys?" she spoke up.

"What?" the Creepy Duo replied.

"Do you get the feeling we're being watched?"

"You're just being paranoid," Runo scoffed, waving the concern off.

Yari put her parasol in front of her brother, stopping him from walking forward. "Hold that thought. I do feel something. Runo, help me listen."

Runo nodded, not arguing for once, and joined Yari. They both closed their eyes, and Erity could tell they were stretching out their Kenbunshoku Haki. The mohawked woman didn't really understand all the 'willpower' stuff involved, but she'd been around the proverbial block enough times to know Haki was an extremely useful skill set.

Erity scowled. She was way more responsible and willful than Yari and Runo, so why couldn't she awaken her own stupid Haki? She was the only 'higher-up' amongst the bounty hunters who couldn't use it. She had other talents to make up for it, but still. It was totally unfair!

Erity crossed her arms. "Well? Anything?"

The twins eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Move-!" Yari began.

Two seconds too late.

_**POP!**_

Erity used _soru_ to move out of the way in time, but as fast she could tell, Yari, Runo, and several members of Gamma Unit weren't so lucky. After the popping sound there was a puff of pink smoke, and from the smoke came writhing green vines. However, it was what the vines were attached to that were the real threat.

"WHERE THE HELL DID THESE COME FROM?!" Erity hollered.

Runo, Yari, and multiple members of Gamma Unit were now trapped with the maws of what appeared to be... giant venus fly traps. The attack had been so sudden, Yari had dropped her parasol (which had her sword hidden within it) and Runo was trapped in a position where he couldn't weasel his way out. Which was saying something, because Runo was exceptionally good at weaseling.

Yari beat against the plant with her fist. "Let go, you horticultural brute! Runo, help me!"

Runo was beating his plant with his fists, also having little success in freeing himself. Which was saying something, because both members of the Creepy Duo were inhumanly strong. "I have my own complications to deal with right now! ERITY, GIVE US A HAND!"

"Right!"

Erity had debated telling Runo to try finding "success through alternative methods" again, but now was not a time to be petty. She lept forward and kicked out her leg.

"_Rankyaku_!"

The kick's air vacuum held the desired effect. It tore through the plants, and while they were not destroyed completely, it did make them drop their acquired 'morsels.' The former captives made a break for it, running as far away as possible. Erity followed them at a slightly slower pace.

Once they were a reasonable distance away, Yari and Runo dropped to the ground, panting and trying to catch their breaths.

"Where... in the name of sanity... did those come from?" Yari gasped.

"I bet you it's the island messing with us. Kāla is supposed to be an unnatural place," Runo theorized, jumping to his feet. He then helped Yari stand.

"I don't think so," Erity said, crossing her arms. "There was a puff of smoke. I think something that was shot at you became those plants. Until we figure it out though, be on your guards."

"Who died and made you queen of the expedition?" Runo said bitterly.

"Seeing as I'm the only one who _didn't_ get almost eaten..." Erity trailed off.

"Nobody likes a-for lack of a better term- wise ass, Erity," Yari said stiffly.

"And speaking of the whole almost getting eaten thing, about that..." Erity broke into a grin. "YUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACES! YUHAHAHAHAHA!"

The laughing fit lasted a good ten minutes. Erity had had to put up with these two ever since they joined Carrion's crew one year ago, and the whole time they had acted so smug and superior. To see them reduced to such humiliating state was worth a few baleful glares from the Creepy Duo and whatever vengeance they planned for her later. Once she had calmed down, she ordered Gamma Unit to finish the plants off with the flamethrowers and made the eerie pair swear they would keep their senses alert so that nothing like this would happen again.

Only it did happen again. The second time it happened, they caught sight of the Straw Hats' sniper, and thus begun what became an endless headache for Erity.

Seriously, she wasn't paid enough for this.

* * *

><p><strong><em>2: Merry<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Night in the Afternoon<strong>  
><strong>Location: Aboard the Going Merry<strong>

Roronoa peered over the edge of the crow's nest, and much to his expectations, his younger self had finally returned below deck.

About time. Where did that brat get off assuming things like that. He had no idea what Roronoa had to go through these last two years. He didn't know what his whole _crew_ had to go through these last two years.

And Roronoa was going to keep it that way.

It was going to be difficult, of course. He had the rest of his crew to worry about. Arghh, why did Luffy have to make it a captain's order that he allow them to help. He didn't want to even think about what would happen if they got hurt. Luffy naturally never thought this kind of thing through, and Zoro had just been itching for a fight.

"You know, I don't remember ever being that naive," Roronoa sighed aloud. "Then again, it was probably that same mindset that led to what happened on..."

On Sabaody.

No, now was _not_ the time to think about that. He needed to think about something else... or maybe just get some sleep. Who knew how long the night was going to last?

Roronoa leaned back, there was not much room to do so. Geez, he'd forgotten how small the crow's nest was on the Going Merry. He had grown accustomed to the observatory, but still, sitting here made him feel nostalgic.

Merry...

Frowning, Roronoa quickly scaled down the rigging and planted his feet on the deck. The hard wooden planks felt strange under his boots, for he still expected to feel soft grass. It was all so different from what he had grown used to.

"It's really been a long time, huh?' he whispered.

Roronoa slowly made his away across the deck, coming to a stop when he reached the back of the Merry's figurehead.

"Hey... Merry," he greeted. "It's been awhile, for me at least. You seem to be doing well."

No response.

"Yeah, I guess it looks weird, talking to a ship. But you talked when we jumped off the the Bridge of Hesitation, and again when we... parted ways. So I figured maybe..."

The lamb's head was silent.

Roronoa ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, this was stupid. Franky said you have something called a Klaubautermann, and it won't show unless a ship is on her last legs. You're still in relatively good condition, despite that run in with Laboon. That happened recently, right?"

A warm wind blew.

"So you won't be saying anything, at least not for awhile." Roronoa sighed. "You're a good ship, Merry. Carry them for as long as you can, and after that... well, just know we'll be taken care of."

Having said his piece, Roronoa sat down and leaned back against the base of Merry's figurehead. He closed his eye, and it wasn't long before he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

In his sudden entrance into the world of sleep, he didn't notice a little figure standing in front of him, having materialized out of nowhere. It had the appearance of a small child, one wearing a white raincoat and holding a wooden hammer.

"_Don't worry, Zoro,_" the little thing said with a smile, placing one tiny hand on the swordsman's cheek. "_I intended to do that anyway._"

* * *

><p><em><strong>3: Job Interview<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: The Year 1522 AOP, a couple months after the ringing of the Ox Bell<strong>  
><strong>Location: Rusty Mug Tavern, Grove 3, Sabaody Archipelago<strong>

"You hear the newsh?" one drunkard sitting at the bar slurred. "The Navy'sh moving their HQ from Marineford to G1!"

"No kidding?" his slightly less drunk friend asked. "I'm not surprised. I heard Marineford got trashed pretty good during the War."

"Earthquakesh, piratesh, and Admiralsh, oh my!"

"What the hell, I'm not complaining. While the Marines are away, guys like us get to play!"

"Hear, hear!" another tavern-goer agreed. Several more cheers followed.

Carrion rolled his eyes and took a sip of his rum. So, this was what he had been reduced to. Consorting with the furthest reaches of the justice system his world tried to keep. Bounty hunters were a despicable lot, but necessary in keeping the world order. He didn't have to be a genius to know they would profit from this "New Pirate Era" that infernal Newgate had begun.

The old fool just _had_ to get one more kick in before he died, didn't he? Declaring that the One Piece was real was like handing a loaded gun to every lowlife and criminal sailing the five seas. That was a_ lot_ of loaded guns. When facing such a threat, measures needed to be taken. He'd known what measure was needed, but...

_"Don't be preposterous, Carrion," Sengoku sighed tiredly._

_"I'm telling you, it's real!" Carrion argued. He held out the book. "If we can claim the Star of Kāla, we can end this ridiculous new era before it even starts!"_

_"It's_ already_ started, Carrion. Reports of heightened pirate activity have been flooding in from all five seas. We need to deal with that, not fund some fool's errand in tracking down a children's story."_

_"But-"_

_"In any case, it's not my call to make. You'll have to take it up with my successor."_

_"Successor-?"_

_"Yes," Sengoku responded. "I'm resigning from the Marines. I'm hoping Admiral Aokiji will be take my place."_

_"Oh, good," Carrion said. "I always respected Aokiji, even though I do think he is a lazy, perverted ice monger."_

_"...You just contradicted yourself again. Carrion, I know you've been searching for this island on the side for_ years_, but you need to-"_

_"Fine then!" Carrion interrupted. "If you don't believe in my mission, then I will simply gather followers in the marines! If I can gather enough men willing to search for the treasure, you and your successor will have to agree!"_

To make a long story short, no one he asked within the Navy went for it, Aokiji and Akainu were still duking it out on Punk Hazard, and several... morally questionable occurrences that followed led him to where he was today. Luckily, Carrion was always a man to have a plan for every contingency, and this time was no different.

Carrion got off his stool and walked to the front of the tavern. "Excuse me, gentlemen!"

Every bounty hunter in the room stopped chattering, turning to stare at the man who had the gall to interrupt their merry-making.

"If you would lend me your ears for a moment, I have a very lucrative offer I think many of you will be interested in hearing."

Now he had their attention.

"Now, I will attempt to avoid sounding like some lunatic," Carrion continued. "but I am searching for the lost treasure of the island of Kāla."

"You just did the exact opposite of what you said you were going to do!" several of the men scolded Carrion.

One cloaked man sitting in the corner of the tavern, however, looked at Carrion with interest.

"I have a ship and the means to locate such a 'legend,' but I need manpower. While searching for the island, we will hunt the bounties of pirates to fund not only our venture, but to line your own pockets as well. I have savings to pay any who join me quite handsomely." He smiled. "Any takers?"

The tavern occupants stared at the former marine for a long moment, before they all burst into hysterical laughter.

"What an idiot!" one chortled.

"Kāla? HA! Who believes _that_ old fairy tale?!" another guffawed.

"Such a childish moron!"

"No one would join that fool's escapade! I don't care what he's paying!"

"We're bounty hunters, not treasure hunters!"

They kept laughing, and an angry blush spread across Carrion's face. Without another word, he stormed out the tavern, the laughs of the bounty hunters echoing after him.

_They're the fools, not me!_ he thought bitterly as he sped-walked through the grove. _When I find the treasure, no one will ever laugh at me ever again! I swear, when I find it I'll_-

"You know, you move fast for an older guy. I could barely keep up."

Carrion halted and turned his head to the side. Standing in an alley was a tall man in a dark cloak, the same one from the tavern. How he got ahead of the ex-marine, was anyone's guess.

"They really had no right to laugh," the cloaked man went on. "If the One Piece can exist, who says Kāla can't as well? It's a big ocean, after all."

"What are you getting at, stranger?" Carrion asked warily.

"A new era has begun, Rear Admiral Carrion. I was a simple bounty hunter in the old one; I'm willing to try something a bit different for the new one."

The stranger removed his hood. He was a young man with cropped black hair with a lightning bolt shape shaved into the left side. He was extremely pale, and had a curved scar on his right cheek that stretched from his jaw to just under his eye. His eyes were a deep crimson tinted with brown, the color of partially-dried blood.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said. "My name is Enoch Vaughan."

"Enoch Vaughan?" Carrion echoed. "Yes, I've heard of you. You're that bounty hunter everyone has been calling 'Blood King.' I knew you mostly operated on Sabaody Archipelago, but I didn't think I'd ever run into you. Mind explaining how you know who _I_ am?"

"Let's just say for now that I'm well versed in who's-who within the marines..." Vaughan replied vaguely. "... or those that _used_ to be within the marines. However, I digress. What I'm getting at is that I want to join you in your treasure hunt."

"To what end?"

"Do I need to _have_ an end? Maybe I'm just bored with the typical bounty hunter lifestyle."

"Or maybe you hope to find something on Kāla just as much as I do."

"That's my business if I do," Vaughan said, waving the observation off. "For the time being, you should just be happy someone of my rep even wants to come along on your little pleasure cruise. Once we start raking in some extra income from bounty-hunting, we can hire grunts and thugs to join in, and maybe a couple more prestigious members. You can't pass a deal like this up."

Carrion gave the young man a hard glare for a few seconds, before laughing. "Duruhuhuhuhu! Alright Enoch, you have a deal. Welcome aboard!"

Vaughan smiled. "Glad to hear it. By the way, I charge by the day."

"Figures. We'll work something out."

"And I take Tuesdays off. That's my me-time."

"Fine."

"And I also-"

"WOULD YOU JUST COME WITH ME ALREADY?!

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. You don't need to have a coronary."

Carrion sighed. He had a feeling he was in for the long haul. He could only hope it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

><p><em><strong>4: A Short Discussion in the Forbidden Garden (i.e, the Girl's Room)<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Night in the Afternoon<strong>  
><strong>Location: Aboard the Going Merry<strong>

"Arghhh, I'm exhausted!" Nami groaned, flopping on to her bed. "It's been such a long day already, and it's technically not even over yet!"

"I don't blame you, Nami," Vivi yawned, sitting down in the desk chair. Carue curled up at her feet. "If anything the future Mr. Bushido has told us is true, it's only going to get longer from here."

"I still can't believe we have to deal with all of this on top of everything else we're going through," Nami sighed. She sat up. "Speaking of which, are you really okay with this, Vivi?"

"Okay with what?"

"Us helping Roronoa find his crew."

"Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

Nami crossed her arms. "The situation in Alabasta isn't getting any better, Vivi. We're still days away from arriving there, and this side trip hasn't helped matters either. I can't guarantee we'll make it in time to stop the rebellion. So I repeat; are you okay with this?"

Vivi bit her lip. Nami was right of course; Alabasta was still waiting for her. Who knew how long finding the rest of Roronoa's crew would take? For all they knew, it could be days before they managed to track down every single one. Not to mention there were bounty hunters out there who could only further delay their progress.

Still... Roronoa needed them, despite his protests.

He'd sounded so worried before, calling the crew overconfident rookies. If he wanted them safe so badly, wouldn't it be better if they stuck with him?

"You guys are all risking your journey and going out of your way to help me get home," Vivi said at last.

"Actually, Alabasta_ is_ on our way-" Nami began.

"That's not the point. You all, Zoro included, don't really have any reason to help me. Zoro is Zoro, past or future. If Roronoa needs to find his nakama, then I'm going to help him. After all, his nakama are future versions of all of you."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive. Alabasta isn't going anywhere."

Nami sighed. "I guess it's hard to argue with that kind of resolve. Okay, I just needed to be sure."

Vivi smiled. "I appreciate your concern, though. Thank you, Nami."

"Eh, what are friends for? Now, get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

Nami got under her covers and shut off the light, but Vivi remained in her chair, replaying Nami's words over and over in her mind.

What were friends for? Well, typical friends didn't usually promise to beat up warlords and stop rebellions.

Then again, the Straw Hats were not so typical in any aspect.

* * *

><p><em><strong>5: Arrival at The Mystery Island: Future Redux<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: The Year 1524 AOP<strong>  
><strong>Location: Somewhere in the New World, between Dock Island and Punk Hazard<strong>

"Nami, don't you dare try to leave yet!" Chopper scolded, holding up a stethoscope threateningly. And given he was in Heavy Point, it really did look threatening. "I'm not finished examining you yet!"

"Chopper, I said I'm fine," Nami insisted, getting up from the examination table. "You worry too much."

"No, I worry the perfect amount!" Chopper argued. "I don't know what kind of side effects Ain's powers had on us! We grew younger, then older! The fact the latter happened without any nutrition or vitamins to stimulate the growth could mean-"

"Chopper, that was days ago. If you, me, Robin, and Brook haven't keeled over by now I doubt anything bad is going to happen." Nami gave the doctor a smile. "After all, we have the best doctor on the Grand Line with us, don't we?"

Chopper blushed, shrinking back down into Brain Point and wiggling joyfully. "Shut up, you jerk! I don't need you complimenting me, so keep your praise to yourself, you damn woman! It doesn't make me happy or anything to hear you say that!"

_I might actually believe you if you didn't look so darn happy while saying that_, Nami thought with a sweatdrop. She smiled wistfully. _And yet, I'm glad to see that much hasn't changed about him_.

Pulling her long orange hair into a ponytail, Nami exited the infirmary with a nagging Chopper in tow. The crew had left Dock Island (and all the Neo-Marine craziness that went with it) behind about little less than two days ago. As for where they were going next... well, Nami wasn't quite used to the new log pose yet, but Luffy insisted upon following the needle that was wobbling the most. According to the Minister of the Left, the more the needle wobbled, the more dangerous the island it was pointing to was.

Typical Luffy.

Nami sighed as she stepped on to the deck. At the moment, Usopp was tending to his garden, Robin was in her deck chair reading, Brook was sitting against the foremast while strumming his guitar, Zoro was asleep against the railing, and Luffy was fishing next to Zoro. Sanji was in the galley preparing breakfast, and Franky was down in the Soldier Docks doing who knew what. So basically, it was a normal day for the Straw Hat crew.

Or about as normal as it could get in the New World.

"Guys, can someone please tell Chopper there won't be negative side effects to being de-aged and re-aged?" Nami asked. "It something was going to happen, it would have by now."

"Well, I've certainly been feeling fine," Robin spoke up, placing a bookmark in her book. She turned her head towards the musician. "What about you Brook?"

"I've been suffering no ill side effects either, Robin-san. Although, I have been having a sick feeling in my stomach..." Brook replied. "Oh, but wait, I have no stomach, so I guess I'm alright! Yohohohoho!"

To emphasize his skull joke, he struck a few jolly chords on his fish-guitar.

Robin turned back to Chopper and Nami. "And I'll assume you've been feeling well too, Chopper?"

Chopper frowned. "Yeah, I have. Okay, fine, I'll stop nagging. But I'm keeping a close eye on all of you and myself for the next week just to be sure!"

"If it'll satisfy your concerns, Doctor Chopper."

"Don't think calling me a doctor will make happy, idiot! Because it doesn't!"

Robin gave the little reindeer a smile and returned to her book. Nami just rolled her eyes, but also with a smile. Brook continued to strum, and... Zoro was still asleep.

"Naaaamiiiii!" Luffy called out in a whiny tone. He bounced his fishing pole up and down. "How much longer till we reach land? I'm_ booooored._"

"Considering we just escaped the imminent destruction of the New World a couple days ago, I think a little _boring_ is warranted!" Nami snapped at him.

"Boring is never warranted!" Luffy declared. "What does 'warranted' mean?!"

"It means 'called for', Captain."

"Thanks, Robin!"

"Nonetheless," Nami continued. "If we could have a chance for a little peace, I would accept it as it comes."

"Actually," Usopp spoke up from his garden. "Luffy might be getting his wish."

Nami frowned and ran up the deck stairs to where Usopp kept his garden. The sniper had his spyglass trained towards the waters behind the Sunny.

"What is it?" Nami asked.

Usopp handed her the spyglass. When the navigator peered through it, she saw the form of a large galleon ship with a snarling ape figurehead.

"It's not Navy, so at least we know Kizaru didn't follow us from Piriodo," Usopp reported, albeit with some relief.

Nami didn't blame him. The last time they faced Kizaru... well, no one was too eager to repeat the experience any time soon. Probably not even Luffy.

"Do we know if it's hostile?" Nami asked.

As soon as she said this, the water to the port side of the ship exploded, dousing Luffy and Zoro in seawater. Luffy was sent sputtering across the lawn, spitting out water. Zoro, however, remained blissfully asleep.

"I'm gonna say 'yes,'" Usopp squeaked.

More explosions ensued. The Thousand Sunny was officially being fired upon. Nami ran down the steps, followed by Usopp, and began barking out orders.

"Usopp, run down below and tell Franky his ship's being fired upon! Chopper, go get Sanji out of the galley! Luffy, deflect those cannonballs! Zoro..."

She stomped over to the swordsman and bonked him on the noggin. "WAKE UP!"

Zoro snapped awake. "OW! Dammit, woman! What was- why am I all wet?"

"Stop asking questions and starting chopping cannonballs! Sunny's made of Adam Wood, but we're not taking any chances after what happened with Z's attack!"

Zoro nodded and ran over to the back side-railing, swords drawn and slicing any cannonballs that got too close.

While all this was occurring, Sanji emerged from the galley with Chopper, the former immediately declaring he was at Nami's service and aiding in knocking away cannonballs (his Sky Walk allowed access to the higher-aimed ones). Chopper changed into Heavy Point and, followed by Brook, climbed the rigging to tie up the sails for a Coup de Burst.

Luffy ran to the stern of the Sunny and picked up the dropped spyglass, peering through it towards the attacking ship.

"Hey, they're pirates!" Luffy announced. "They have a jolly roger!"

"Anyone we know?!" Nami hollered from the helm.

Luffy shook his head. "I don't think so!" He grinned. "Our first New World pirate crew fight. This is going to be so much fun! And they have a pretty cool flag! It's a pistol shooting a skull!"

The spyglass was suddenly pulled from the rubberman's grip and when he turned to protest, he saw a row of bloom hands passing it along the railing over to Robin.

"Robin, I was looking through that! What gives?" Luffy shouted.

Robin looked through the spyglass, and frowned. "I recognize that flag, Captain. That's not a pirate ship."

"It's not?"

Robin collapsed the spyglass. "No. That ship belongs to the Carrion Bounty Hunters."

Luffy wrinkled his nose. "Who names their crew after rotting meat?"

Robin raised an eyebrow. "How do you know what a carrion is?"

"I know everything about meat."

"Of course you do." Robin gained a contemplative expression. "I've only heard of this group in passing, but they're supposed to be very good at what they do." Her brow furrowed. "But if this is the Carrion hunters' ship, then that means... oh, he's bold."

"Robin? Who are you talking about?" Luffy inquired. "Something I should know?"

Robin shook her head. "It's nothing, Luffy. For now, you should worry about deciding our next course of action. Fight or flight?"

Luffy nodding, trusting his nakama. He jumped down to the deck, where those who weren't deflecting cannon fire were gathered, awaiting orders.

"Well, Luffy?" Chopper said. What are we going to do?"

"_Oi, Luffy-bro!_" Franky's voice came over the intercom. "_Usopp and I have a Coup de Burst_ super_ ready to go!"_

_"All we need now is your okay!_" Usopp's voice added.

The crew looked at their captain expectantly.

Luffy nodded. "Yosh! I have decided! We're staying to fight!"

The assembled pirates fell over.

"WHY?!" Nami yelled.

"Robin says that ship belongs to the Carrion Bounty Hunters. I refuse to let people who let perfectly good meat rot go unpunished!"

"THAT'S NOT A GOOD REASON!"

Zoro glanced over his shoulder at his captain. This was completely reckless. Normally, he was okay with Luffy's eagerness, but this was the New World. The only reason he wasn't protesting Luffy's decision was because it was an order. He could scold Luffy if this recklessness became a greater issue later on.

"If that is your decision, I'm with you all the way, Luffy-san!" Brook heartily agreed.

"Hold it," Sanji broke in, calling down from where he stood on top of the observatory. "Did you say they were called the Carrion Bounty Hunters?!"

Luffy nodded.

"That name... sounds kind of familiar," Chopper said.

"I was about to say the same thing," Nami agreed.

"Ditto!" Sanji added.

Robin joined them on deck. "They are relatively well-known. I heard their leader is a former Navy Rear Admiral."

"_That_ highly ranked?!" Brook gasped.

"Really? Cool!" Luffy said. "Shishishi, I wonder if he knows Coby and Smokey!"

"Just because he's an ex-marine doesn't mean he automatically knows other marines!" Nami shouted.

"They're bringing something else out!" Zoro hollered, interrupting. "I think they keep mortars in the mouth of their figurehead!"

* * *

><p><strong>Aboard the<em> Silverback<em>, Ship of the Carrion Bounty Hunters...**

"The Straw Hats' ship is within range, Boss Carrion," the red eyed man stated. "Orders?"

"Fire the hooks," Carrion commanded. "Then reel them in."

* * *

><p>The ship was close enough that the Straw Hats could see it's figurehead clearly and sure enough, the ends of two large cannons were poking out of the ape's maw. The mortars fired, and cook, swordsman, and captain all prepared to deflect whatever ammunition was coming their way. However, instead of the explosive projectiles mortars are usually known for firing, two large grappling hooks were fired, approaching the Thousand Sunny rapidly.<p>

"They're trying to latch on to us!" Robin shouted. "And I wouldn't be surprised if those hooks were retractable!"

"They're going to reel us in?!" Chopper squealed.

"Like fish on a line. Hopefully, we won't be gutted and eaten afterwards."

"Don't say stuff like that so casually, Robin!"

Luffy was the first to react. He ran past his crewmates and began rapidly climbing up the foremast. About halfway up, he launched himself off the wooden structure, not unlike a rubber ball bouncing off a wall, putting himself directly in the path of the hooks.

"Luffy, what are you-" Zoro began to say when Luffy passed over him.

If Luffy's goal was to intercept the hooks, he achieved it. Sort of, anyway. The actual hooks ended up passing Luffy, but the rubber captain was able to wrap his arms around the giant chains they were attached to. Luffy landed on top of the structure where the bath and library were kept, managing to keep his grip on the chains.

Luffy grit his teeth, his face beaded with sweat. Then with one mighty heave, the chains snapped from the enemy's figurehead, the broken ends flying towards the Sunny and falling uselessly into the water.

* * *

><p><strong>Aboard the Silverback...<strong>

Carrion stared slack-jawed at the broken chains. Straw Hat broke his grappling hooks. That idiot pirate broke _his_ grappling hooks.

He was not going to get upset over this. He was going to take this maturely, calmly, and-

"THAT FILTHY PIECE OF PIRATE _SCUM_!"

Vaughan stared calmly at his boss's outburst. He'd been having those frequently as of late. Sometimes the red-eyed man wondered whatever happened to the calculating, cool character he'd joined up with two years ago. All the stress of failure was clearly getting to him.

The fact that was the third time that month those hooks broke probably didn't help either.

Vaughan sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll get the replacement hooks. _Again._"

* * *

><p>Luffy let out a deep breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding, and tossed the remains of the hooks overboard. "No way I'm letting some rotten meat crew get it's hooks into my ship. Sunny doesn't deserve that."<p>

With that, he jumped from the bathroom/library structure and rejoined the crewmates assembled on deck.

"What an impressive feat of strength, Luffy-san!" Brook praised his captain. "My muscles would have torn if I tried the same thing. Oh, but I have no muscles! Yohohoho!"

"Now's not the time, Brook!" Nami snapped. "Luffy's bought us some time, but the hunters are still firing cannonballs, and they're still getting closer! We need to-"

"Uh, hey, Nami?" Zoro spoke up, cutting another cannonball in half.

"For the love of- WHAT?!"

"You said we're not supposed to be reaching land for several more days, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," the navigator replied. "Why do you ask?"

Zoro pointed to the right. "Then what's that big island-shaped blotch in the distance off the port side?"

Nami's eyes widened, and she immediately ran for the port side of the Sunny, grabbing the spyglass Robin held out as she ran past her. Once there, she peered through the little telescope and sure enough, there was an island-shaped blotch in the distance. With it, of course, she could see that it was more than just a blotch, but an actual island, covered in fog.

"That... that island wasn't there before," Nami stammered. She glanced down at her log pose. "None of the log pose needles are pointing to it. How...?"

All of a sudden, the ship took a deep lurch. Most of the assembled pirates lost their balance and fell over. Sanji was forced to jump down to the deck, where he and Heavy Point Chopper both ran for the rapidly spinning helm.

"What just happened?!" Luffy shouted.

"I think the ship's turned," Robin theorized, standing up and allowing several flower arms help the others off the lawn.

"It has," Zoro said, joining them. "We're heading directly toward that island now. Cannon-fire's stopped, by the way, and the bounty hunter ship is gone. Don't ask me where it went."

Brook looked over the side, and pointed to the large waves formed by the Sunny. "We've also picked up speed!"

"Crap, we've gotten caught in a current! Sanji! Chopper!" Nami barked out. "Turn us 90 degrees, now!

"We're trying, Nami!" Sanji grunted. "The helm won't budge! We're stuck!"

Nami paled.

That was when Franky came up on the deck through the trapdoor that led to the Docks.

"Anybody else feel Sunny lurch just now?" the cyborg asked, helping Usopp up through the trap door.

"After the hooks and the cannonballs, the ship_ tilting_ was what finally got your attention?" Zoro asked incredulously.

Nami shushed him and quickly brought Franky and Usopp up to speed.

"So we're heading towards a foggy island that appeared out of nowhere?" Usopp summarized. He formed an 'x' with his arms. "Nuh-uh, no way! I'm not going!"

"I don't think you have much of a choice, Longnose," Sanji grunted, giving up the helm. Chopper kept at it, though. "You don't have to be a scaredy-cat about it."

"Besides, it might be fun!" Luffy added cheerfully.

"I'm just being realistic!" Usopp said. "Remember the last time we went to a foggy island that appeared out of nowhere?"

To emphasize his point, the sniper gestured to Brook and Zoro.

"Why am I a negative example?" Brook asked.

Usopp wisely did not answer, nor did anyone make a move to elaborate.

"It's a mystery island!" Luffy declared. "Since the bounty hunters are gone, we should go explore it!"

"Forget it, Luffy!" the sniper went on. "We don't know what's on that island! It's unnatural! For all we know it could be haunted!"

This statement made the crew pause, save for Franky, Robin, and Brook. The ones who paused were now all gaining similar expressions of puzzlement.

"Guys? Is something wrong?" Franky asked. "You all got _super_ quiet just now."

"... Anybody else getting a weird sense of _deja vu_?" Sanji asked.

"Deja who?" Luffy asked.

"No, _deja vu,_" Chopper corrected. "It's mean it feels like you've done something before."

"Something about this situation feels oddly familiar, but I can't put my finger on it," Nami muttered.

"So we've already been to this mystery island?" Luffy asked. He stuck out his lip. "Then that's boring. I don't want to go anymore."

"I doubt we've been here before, Luffy," Zoro said. "I think we'd remember visiting an island that appeared out of thin air, and being dragged there by some weird current."

This made the rubberman considerably happier.

"We're getting closer to the fog..." Usopp announced fearfully.

Luffy nodded, than ran over to the Sunny's figurehead. Sanji, Nami, and Chopper had all said the ship couldn't leave the current anyway, so they might as well make the most of it.

"Set the sails!" Luffy ordered, throwing his arms up into the air. "We're going to the Mystery Island!"

As if responding to the captain's command, the fog swallowed up the ship, making it vanish. It was as if it had never been there in the first place.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

The little girl abruptly looked up from where she was digging on the beach. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she looked out towards the Fog, which always hung around the furthest border of the island's waters. She could hear multiple voices within its expanses.

"Visitors are coming," she whispered, mostly to herself.

So, Kāla had revealed itself yet again, and just a week (possibly; time was hard to gauge on Kāla) after her friend and his crew had left. This was the quickest it had ever happened. She usually went months between visitors.

This time was different, however. She could feel it in her bones. This was only beginning of a much larger event.

Siobhan stood up, dusted off her clothes, and grinned.

"Yosh. Let's get started."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

"AHHHH!" Luffy cried out. He pointed at the man. "A VAMPIRE!"

"I'm not a vampire," the man sighed. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd been mistaken for a blood-sucking monster. He crossed his arms and pouted. "Why does everyone think that right off the bat?"

"NO WAY! YOU CAN TURN INTO A_ BAT_?!"

"That's not what I said _at all_. Pay attention."


	13. Blood Runs Thicker Than Rubber

**SBS 2!**

**For the second SBS, I'd like to introduce a segment called "Where in the World Have I Been, and When in the Holy Heck Will There Be Another Chapter?"**

_****Where in the World Have I Been, and When in the Holy Heck Will There Be Another Chapter?  
><strong>**__****Did I get banned? ****__****Did I get canned?  
><strong>**__****Am I DOA Or hiding out in Pakistan?  
><strong>**__****Where in the World Have I Been, and When in the Holy Heck Will There Be Another Chapter?****_

The credit to all that goes to Goblin Blogging, courtesy of JustSomeRandomGuy on Youtube (check out his stuff, it's great!). Well, to answer that song, I was in Reykjavik, London, Paris, and Amsterdam!

Yeah, my family took this big two week vacation in Europe (and Iceland), where we spent roughly two days in each of those places. (I'm not rich or anything, but my dad is a journalist and goes on TV sometimes to talk about politics, economics, and other stuff I don't care about. He makes a good bit of money, so I'd put us at upper middle class, tops. Anyway, he's always wanted to take our family to these places, so we saved money and didn't go anywhere for Winter and Spring Break to afford this.) I had a lot of fun, but I wasn't able to write the entire time, so that's why this chapter took so long. (Also, I got into Fairy Tail recently, and have been watching that. My favorite character is Gajeel!) As for when there will be another chapter, you're reading it right now!

I know I promised you future Chopper this chapter, but I felt guilty for making you wait, so I gave you this. He will appear without fail next time, no worries!

**Now, on with _Tomorrow's Romance Dawn!_**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 11: Blood Runs Thicker Than Rubber<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Morning at Night<strong>  
><strong>Location: Who Knows at This Point? <strong>

"HANG ON, FUTURE USOPP!" Luffy hollered at the top of his lungs. "I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU!"

When Luffy had gone charging into the jungle, one might have assumed he actually had an idea as to where he was going or what his plan would be. After all, he'd looked so sure of himself when he took off.

Anyone who might have assumed that was giving Luffy too much credit.

He barreled through bushes, tree roots as big as the Merry, and the occasional animal who made the mistake of getting in his way. He thought he was going in the direction the explosion was, but the trees were so tall that he couldn't see the smoke plume anymore, if it was still there that is. He'd heard a few more explosions since then, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from.

In his random charge, he'd accidentally become tangled up in some of the lower-hanging vines of the jungle.

"Dammit!" he shouted, trying to wriggle free. "Stupid vines! I have to find my nakama, so let me go!"

Luffy's constant wriggling only served to get himself even more tangled, and caused to move farther up the vines. Finally fed up with the plants, Luffy flexed every muscle he could and threw his arms apart, effective tearing the vines to pieces and releasing himself from their snare. He laughed in triumph, only to realize a moment later that he'd someone worked his way up a considerable height off the ground. He began to fall, but thanks to his quick reflexes, he was able to stretch out his arm and grab hold another vine. The sudden force of him jumping onto it, causing it to swing.

Experimentally, Luffy swung forward and jumped to another vine.

"YA-HOOOO!" Luffy cheered, swinging on the long, green vine. "THIS IS AWESOME!"

He swung from vine to vine, before landing on one of the high tree branches. It was high enough that Luffy could see the beach in the distance, more of the jungle, and even some large rock formations with interesting shapes. The sun reflected off the shiny tree leaves, making the jungle sparkle.

"Man, this place is amazing," Luffy said to himself, shielding his eyes bright sun. "I'd love to explore it. I bet my future self is having a blast."

He was actually looking forward to meeting his future self. Zoro-ossan was a future Zoro, and he was so strong! He bet his future self was really strong too! (Luffy briefly wondered if he could challenge himself to a fight. Zoro had wanted to do that before, but everyone yelled at him that was stupid). Future Luffy was probably stronger than anybody, and if Zoro-ossan was any hint, his crew was really strong as well. They'd made it to this New World place after all.

Luffy placed a hand on his beloved hat.

"_I will make it as a pirate! Someday I'm gonna gather a crew that's even better than yours and find the greatest treasure in the world!_"

"_I... I want.. I want to become stronger! Stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger... and even stronger than that! And then... I'll be able to protect anything! I won't have to lose anyone ever again!_"

Zoro. Nami. Usopp. Sanji. Chopper. Brook, Franky the Shipwright, and a woman named Robin. He didn't know much about the last two, but if they were in his crew, they had to be great (Brook certainly was). As for the first five... they were all still there, according to Zoro-ossan. Vivi wasn't around anymore, but Zoro-ossan said they left her behind in Alabasta. He had to wonder why though. Vivi was his friend; didn't she want to stay with them? He supposed he'd just have to find that one out when the time came.

Nami was right; two years was a long time, now that Luffy thought about it. A lot could happen in that period, especially for pirates. If he still had all his friends after sailing the seas for two years, he hadn't broken his vow. He was going to be a great pirate and wasn't going to lose anyone. That was all he needed to know about the future. It was going to be a good one.

And if anything bad happened (he'd noticed Zoro-ossan's weird looks, but if he wanted to talk about it, he would have), they could handle it and get through it as a crew. They were all really strong, so no need to worry anymore of their future!

And speaking of the future...

"... Ah, that's right! I'm supposed to be helping future Usopp! Stupid vines, why'd they have to distract me like that!"

Luffy looked from side to side. Maybe he could spot future Usopp from where he stood up in the tree branches. After several minutes of looking, he could make out the vague outline of someone walking through the trees. The leaves made it difficult to see the person clearly, however.

"That has to be him," Luffy said to himself. This looked to be the general area from where the explosion came.

Luffy shot his arms forward, stretching to one the trunks of the trees near the person. He pulled back a couple times to make sure his arms were taut, then jumped off the tree branch.

"Gum Gum _Rocket_!"

Luffy's arms snapped back to their original length, taking the rubberman along for the ride. He moved through the air like a bullet (or more accurately, a rocket), and in no time at all he crashed into the tree he originally latched on to. This left the huge crater in the trunk, and also sending the man who had been standing in front of it tumbling across the jungle floor.

"I made it!" Luffy shouted, pulling his head free from the trunk. He turned around. "Usopp, I'm here to-!"

"What the_ hell_ was that?!"

Luffy stopped his greeting. The man sitting on the ground, eyes closed and clutching the side of his head was most definitely not Usopp, unless Usopp underwent some serious physical changes in the next two years.

It was a reasonably tall and muscular man who appeared to be in his late 20s. He was very pale, with messy banged black hair that fell past his ears save the left side, where the hair around his ear and on part of the back of his head was shaved off. He had a curved scar on his right cheek, trailing from his jaw to just under his eye. He wore a high collared red and black leather jacket that fell to above his navel, and the fact it was unzipped revealed the man had foregone wearing a shirt. He also wore a grey belt, dark pinkish-purple cargo pants, black boots, and grey fingerless gloves.

Luffy, however, was focusing more on the fact this guy had two holstered pistols strapped to his belt, and a double barreled shot rifle strapped to his back. He was also focusing on the medallion around the guy's neck. It was a gold disc the size of a fist hanging from blue-green ribbon, and the metal was imprinted with the image of a sideways eye.

_Whoa_, Luffy thought. _That medallion is really cool!_

"I mean, seriously!" the man growled. He opened his eyes, revealing them to be a deep shade of red. "What kind of world class _idiot_ would just launch into a tree without any kind of-" He stopped when he noticed Luffy. "Oh,_ that_ kind of world class idiot."

Luffy's jaw dropped. This guy's eye were _red_. Not red like Zoro's when he woke up from a nap too soon, but red as in the circle-ly parts around the pupils. (Red eyes... why was that familiar...?)

Wait a minute. The man had red eyes... pale skin... and his eyeteeth _did_ look kind of pointy...

"AHHHH!" Luffy cried out. He pointed at the man. "A VAMPIRE!"

"I'm not a vampire," the man sighed. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd been mistaken for a blood-sucking monster. He crossed his arms and pouted. "Why does everyone think that right off the bat?"

"NO WAY! YOU CAN TURN INTO A_ BAT_?!"

"No, I _can't._ And that's not what I said _at all_. Pay attention."

Luffy was still pretty sure this man was a vampire, but, for now, would listen to what he had to say.

"Just because I have red eyes, pale skin, and slightly pointier-than-average eyeteeth doesn't automatically make me a vampire," he went on. "That's just being prejudiced against my appearance."

"Oh, okay," Luffy said. standing up. He bowed. "I apologize, vampire guy."

"I'm _not_ a _vampire_," he repeated, this time more forcefully. "And my name isn't vampire guy, it's_ Vaughan._"

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy shouted back. "The man who will be King of the Pirates!"

The man, Vaughan, raised an eyebrow. "Monkey D. Luffy? As in _Straw Hat_ Luffy?"

The rubberman nodded. "Yeah. What of it?"

Vaughan reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. Not that Luffy could see, but Vaughan was looking at his wanted poster.

_Yep, it's definitely him,_ Vaughan thought, examining the grinning boy on the poster. _I'd heard rumors Straw Hat was some kind of idiot, but I didn't think it was this bad. Hard to believe this is the same guy who dropped a warship in the middle of the Battle of Marineford. Then again, I shouldn't underestimate him. Whatever. As long as I can complete my mission..._

He looked up, only to see Luffy had collapsed on to the ground.

"What are you doing _now_?" he asked.

"So..._ hungry_..." Luffy said weakly. "Need... _food_... left the lunch boxes... with Chopper..."

Vaughan sweatdropped. _You've got to be kidding me_...

* * *

><p>"Wow, this is some of the best food I've ever eaten!" Luffy praised, digging into the bento box with gusto. "And I've eaten some really good food! Did you make it?"<p>

Vaughan, who sat crosslegged in front of the pirate while holding a bento of his own, sweatdropped. "Are you kidding? I can barely boil water. Nah, one of my team mates made it. She's good at cooking and stuff like that."

"Still, you must get pretty hungry if you were carrying two lunches, vampire guy."

"I don't, and I'm _still_ not a vampire," he replied, a vein pulsing on his forehead as he took a bite of crawfish. "That lunch I'm not entirely sure you're actually tasting belongs to Runo, but he ran off to go play with his toys. Serves him right."

Luffy paused mid-chew. "Who'sh Wuno?"

"Just another team mate," Vaughan replied, replacing the lid on his bento. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his fingers. "Now, mind telling me what such a high-profile pirate such as yourself is doing out here in the middle of the jungle?"

"High profile?" Luffy wondered aloud. He swallowed and shrugged. "I'm trying to find one of my nakama. We all saw an explosion and I was afraid he was being attacked."

"So naturally you just went charging into the jungle to find him and offer aid if needed."

"That's right!"

"... I don't know why, but something about that plan doesn't sound like it was thought through."

Luffy shrugged again. "I've never needed to think my plans through before. Everything always turns out okay."

"Somehow, I sincerely doubt that," Vaughan said dryly.

Luffy swallowed the rest of his food and placed the lid back on the box. "Thanks for lunch, vampire guy. You're all right!"

"For the last time, I'm not a-" Vaughan began, before sighing in defeat. "Forget it. I don't care anymore. Anyway, what does this friend of yours look like? Maybe I've seen him."

"He has a long nose and carries a slingshot!" Luffy described happily. "He's also a liar!"

_Why tell me that last part?_ Vaughan thought. "I can't say I've seen him personally, but the description sounds an awful lot like the sniper that's been pushing Erity's buttons."

Luffy wilted. "Oh, I see. Thanks anyway, though. I guess I'll just have to-" He froze, Vaughan's words fully registering with him. "Wait... did you say 'Erity?'"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Luffy frowned. That name sounded awfully familiar...

"_Not me personally, but Miss Erity did say they were having issues with a sniper..._"

Erity was one of the names Tattoos gave his crew, right before he shot himself and right after he'd been asked if the bounty hunters had encountered any of his future friends...

"OH MY GOSH!" Luffy gasped, bouncing to his feet. "YOU'RE ONE OF THE NEW WORLD BOUNTY HUNTERS!"

"You're just _now_ realizing that?" Vaughan asked, also standing. "Wow. You are really something, Straw Hat. That's to be expected, though."

_"Blood King" Enoch Vaughan_

_1st Lieutenant of the Carrion Bounty Hunters_

Vaughan pulled his rifle off his back and opened the chamber, casually popping in bullets. "Despite the fact you were kind of annoying, I enjoyed sitting down and eating with you. But now it's time to get back to work."

Luffy took a defensive stance. "You bastard! If you're one the bad guys, why'd you give me food?"

"Actually, if we look at this from the World Government's point of view, _you're_ the bad guy in this situation, seeing as _I'm_ the bounty hunter and_ you're_ the wanted pirate," the red-eyed man pointed out offhandedly. "Then again, I was never one for politics. And I'll have you know my parents were married."

"That doesn't explain why you gave me food!"

"Because even a fool can see you can't fight well if you're hungry. Plus, I owed Runo some payback. I know for a _fact_ he rigged that coin toss."

Luffy cocked his head. What was this about a coin toss? "Huh?"

"Never mind," Vaughan said, waving it off. He clicked the barrels of his rifle back into place. "Fact of the matter is, I've been ordered to take you down. Boss and Erity figure turning you in will place the former back in the good graces of the Navy. I personally couldn't care less about that, but I _am_ interested in taking on the infamous Straw Hat Luffy. After all, you have a rap sheet as long as my arm, so you at least must be a challenge."

"A rap sheet?" Luffy asked.

"It's a list of all your actions that pissed off the government," the bounty hunter explained. "You know, taking down Sir Crocodile, instigating the Enies Lobby Incident, taking a bunch of World Nobles hostage..." He was met with a blank expression from the pirate. "... and judging by your blank expression, you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

Luffy's silence was all answer Vaughan needed.

"Now that I think about it, you seem to be missing that scar on your chest. I remember seeing you have it in that one newspaper article," Vaughan went on, giving Luffy a once-over. He snapped his fingers in realization. "Oh, now I see! You're one of the 'others' Siobhan was talking about. Can't say I _totally_ expected a younger Straw Hat to show up, but I'm glad to see the island didn't disappoint. Do you think the government would give us double the bounty if we turned in two of the same pirate?"

Nothing was said for awhile. Both men simply stared at each other, Vaughan waiting to hear what Luffy had to say, and Luffy letting what Vaughan said sink in.

Finally, Luffy's eyes trailed from Vaughan to his red eyes to his rifle. "Hey, are you a sniper?"

"What does that have anything to do with what I just said?"

"Are you?"

Vaughan sighed (he seemed to be doing that a lot in the last 20 minutes). "I have several different skill sets, but yes, being a sniper is one of them."

"And those guns of yours," Luffy went on, pointing towards each of Vaughan's weapons. "Can one of them shoot needles that knock people unconscious?"

"You mean my tranquilizer darts?" Vaughan placed a hand on one of the pistols on his hips. "I don't have any on me right now, but my sidearms and my rifle are all modified to shoot both darts and bullets. Where are you going with this?"

Luffy's fists clenched, his teeth grit together, and his blood began to boil. Red eyes and a sniper, just like Zoro-ossan said. "Then you were..."

_Chopper gestured to Zoro-ossan. "I pulled them out of his body. He's lucky, though. If anyone else had taken that much tranquilizer into their body, their heart would have stopped."_

"..._YOU_ WERE THE ONE WHO TRIED TO _KILL _ZORO!" Luffy screamed in rage.

The rubber captain was practically radiating killing intent. In that instant he forgot about Zoro-ossan's condition and his warnings about the New World. All he cared about was making the red-eyed man pay for trying to hurt his nakama, future version or not.

"I have the strangest inclination I've made you angry," Vaughan observed. He sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time that day and gestured for Luffy to step forward. "Alright, bring it on."

"GUM GUM _PISTOL_!" Luffy shouted, throwing his fist forward.

Vaughan was crouched close to the earth before Luffy's fist was even a foot away. The red eyed man took advantage of his current position to attempt to kick Luffy's legs out from under him. He nearly made contact, but Luffy sprang upward and smacked the palm of his hand on top of Vaughan's head, using it as a launching pad to get airborne.

"GUM GUM_ GATLING_!"

The rain of rubbery punches beat the earth, sending rocks and clumps of plant life flying in random directions. However, much to Luffy's frustration, not a _single_ one hit Vaughan. The bounty hunter agilely outmaneuvered them, often sidestepping out the way before a punch even came close. It was almost as if he knew where they would impact.

_It's like before_, the part of Luffy's mind that was still rational thought. _When Zoro-ossan was predicting Sanji's attacks_.

Vaughan performed back handspring to remove himself from the gatling's path, and once back in crouching position, he yanked his sidearms from their holsters and fired exactly one shot from each pistol.

If Luffy hadn't been so angry, he would've grinned. This guy was a dummy if he thought bullets (and they were; they were too round to be darts) would be able to hurt a rubberman. Still mid-air, Luffy stretched out his arms, expecting the dull feeling the impact of the bullets would make on his body.

What he did _not_ expect was to feel the sharp, _agonizing_ pain of one bullet each going through his shoulders.

"_ARGHHHHH!_"

Luffy fell to the forest, writhing and trying to clasp his shoulders, but his arms were locking up and refused to do anything. Luckily, the wounds weren't too bad, but they still bled freely.

"That's right," Vaughan said with mild surprise, blowing smoke from his pistols. "Being a rubberman, I bet you've never been shot with bullets before, so you had no idea it would hurt so much."

Luffy grit his teeth and lifted his head, giving Vaughan a dirty glare. How did he do that? He was a rubberman, bullets always bounced off! So why not now?!

The bounty hunter rubbed his temple. "And I hope you appreciate the effort I'm putting into this. Coating individual bullets with Haki gives me a migraine."

Haki? Luffy briefly wondered what that was, but decided he didn't care. He jumped to his feet, ignoring his pain. He ran towards the red-eyed man, fist drawn back to give him the punch of his life. However, Vaughan was going to have none of that.

"Oh no you don't, Straw Hat!" Vaughan whipped his rifle off his back, but instead of firing it, he gripped both hands on the tubes, wielding it like a club. With a strong swing, the butt of the rifle clocked into Luffy's head, sending the pirate crashing into the ground. And it _hurt._

Blunt attacks weren't supposed to hurt. They never did, at least not to Luffy. The only blunt attacks that hurt him ever were Nami's punches (he still wondered how she did that) and...

"_I told you, I'm want to be a great pirate, like Shanks!" young Luffy barked. _

_"Unacceptable!" Garp shouted. "You're going to be a great marine, Luffy! Not a filthy pirate!"_

_"Says you!"_

_"Sounds like somebody wants a Fist of Love!"_

**_POUND!_**

_"OWWWWW! Grampa's punches hurt the most!"_

Normally, Luffy would avoid remembering anything involving his grandfather, but in this case, it was warranted. Garp had always managed to hurt him with his punches, despite being a rubberman. When Vaughan clubbed Luffy with his rifle, it felt like one of Garp's attacks.

"Man, you are so weak," Vaughan sighed, disappointed. "Then again, you are a younger, inexperienced version of Straw Hat. I really shouldn't have had any high expectations." He raised his rifle up to hit Luffy again.

On no. Luffy was _not_ going to let this freak get another attack in. As the butt of the rifle came down, Luffy grabbed it and yanked down, bring Vaughan down with it. Once he was close enough, Luffy drove his foot right into Vaughan's stomach.

The bounty hunter made a choking sound. Luffy then swung his leg (foot still planted in Vaughan's gut), so Vaughan was thrust into the ground, specifically on some nearby rocks. Where Luffy lacked in his "experience," he made up for ten-fold in raw power. Blood flew out of Vaughan's mouth as the internal damage took hold.

Luffy got to his feet and took a few steps back, breathing heavily. His shoulders bled and ached, he had a bruise forming a on his head, but nothing made him feel more invigorated than finally landing a hit on Vaughan.

"What's... the matter?" Luffy panted. "I thought... you could predict... my moves?"

Vaughan grunted, then pushed himself into a sitting position. "Fat lot of good that does me if I can't avoid it. Nice move there, Straw Hat. You really got me good." He wiped the blood around his mouth away with the back of his hand. "However, making me bleed doesn't really help you in any way."

Luffy ground his teeth together. "Like I care! You hurt my friend, and are still trying too! You're going to pay!"

With that, Luffy charged forward and stretched his arm back. "Gum Gum..."

Vaughan rolled his eyes and raised his right index and middle fingers. "You are so reckless."

"... _Bull-_!"

Vaughan gestured his fingers towards himself. "_Sanguine Needles._"

Luffy felt something sharp- no, wait, there was more than one- pierce his body, and froze mid attack. His arm fell limp.

A dozen red spikes, several feet long, had appeared out of nowhere and were sticking through Luffy's body at multiple angles.

"_OWWWW_!" Luffy cried out. He tried to moved, but the spikes held him in place. "Where did-!"

"Look down, genius," Vaughan replied simply.

Luffy did so, and saw that the spikes were coming from red, wet-looking spots on the ground. Even from spots that looked like they were where little drops had fell. Was that...

"...Blood?" Luffy asked aloud.

"Congratulations. I guess there _is_ a brain somewhere in that rubber head," Vaughan said sardonically. He stood up and waved his hand, and the spikes retracted out of Luffy's body before melting back into puddles of blood. Luffy fell to his knees.

"Whether I bleed or you do, it doesn't matter. It still gives more weapons to fight with. Blood is malleable in my hands to do with as I see fit." The blood that was on the back of his hand peeled off, forming into little streams that collected into a sphere on his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the sphere, now a hard spike, into one of Luffy's wounded shoulders.

Luffy didn't cry out, but he did grunt in pain.

Vaughan smirked. "You may be a rubber man, but I'm a blood-controlling man. My name is Enoch Vaughan, and I ate the Blood Blood Fruit."

Luffy reach up and ripped the blood spike from his shoulder. "So I was right..."

"Eh?"

Luffy looked up, a fire in his eyes. "YOU REALLY _ARE_ A VAMPIRE!"

Vaughan's eyebrow twitched. What. The. Heck.

Normally, Vaughan liked to think he was a calm, collected person who could take anything in stride. Straw Hat, however, caused him to break the mindset. How was it possible for someone to be _that_ dense, and _that_ stupid?

"I AM _NOT_ A VAMPIRE!" Vaughan snapped, probably for the first time in his life.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Camp<strong>

Siobhan stopped in the middle of a bite of an apple one of the guards gave her.

_I don't know why_, she thought. _But for some reason, I have the strangest feeling somebody succeeded where I couldn't at something. Something involving Blood Eyes._

She pondered it for a moment more, before shrugging and finishing her apple.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Wherever the heck Luffy and Vaughan are<strong>

"BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU ATE _BLOOD_!" Luffy argued.

"I ATE A BLOOD BLOOD _FRUIT_! THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING!" Vaughan argued back.

"BUT DID IT _TASTE_ LIKE BLOOD?!"

"IT WAS A _DEVIL FRUIT_! IT TASTED _ROTTEN_!"

"... rotten_ and_ bloody?"

"ARGHHHHH! _SANGUINE NEEDLES_!"

Luffy jumped away, and just in time too. The spikes returned and judging by their crisscrossed position, Vaughan had been aiming to give Luffy several extra nostrils, if you catch my drift.

Vaughan stuck out his palm, and the spikes and any remaining blood on the ground gathered into it, forming a swirling elongated shape. It looked similar to a long javelin.

"_Sanguine Harpoon_!" he shouted, throwing the javelin- or harpoon, actually.

Luffy, once again standing, stuck out his hand to catch the harpoon. Yeah, it was kind of gross, but he could deal with it. However, as soon as the harpoon got close to his hand, it turned back into liquid and split in half, maneuvering around the young pirate. Once behind him, it reformed back into a harpoon and before Luffy could get away, it pierced his side.

Luffy bit back a groan. No, he was not going to fall over. He refused to fall again and give this guy an edge.

Vaughan ran a hand through his uneven hair, looking much calmer than he did before. "I have to commend you, Straw Hat; it's been a long time since anyone's gotten a rise out of me like that." He glanced Luffy's new side wound with distaste. "And here I was trying not to grievously injure you. You really know how to throw a monkey wrench in my plans, don't you."

Suddenly, several explosions sounds echoed through the woods, and several trees fell over in the distance.

"Oh, sounds like Erity's pissed off," Vaughan commented as he turned to look. He shook his head. "She should really be less impulsive. These trees are so big that if you knock one down, you'll take the whole forest with you."

He cocked his head to left, agilely avoiding a Gum Gum Pistol. He turned to look at Luffy, who looked pretty pissed himself. "Oh yeah, you're still here."

He snapped his fingers and the harpoon in Luffy melted. Luffy staggered briefly, but as he promised himself, he stayed upright.

"It's only fair to warn you that fighting me involves a secondary health risk," Vaughan said. "If my blood weapons are in your body when they return to liquid form, you run the risk of getting blood poisoning. Just thought you'd like to know."

Luffy simply gave Vaughan a dark, intense glare. It actually made Vaughan a little uncomfortable. He'd heard this kid displayed Conqueror's Haki during the battle of Marineford through an old contact, and now he could definitely see the pirate having it.

"All this because I tried to kill one of your little friends, huh?" Vaughan shrugged. "I can respect that, but you're out of your league. I can tell this is early days for you; you aren't ready to take on a New World bounty hunter."

"... Are you here to talk, or are you here to collect my bounty?" Luffy snarled. "And don't you _dare_ talk so offhandedly about my nakama!

Vaughan shrugged again and picked up his rifle. "Fine. Can't say I didn't try. You ready?"

Luffy gave a loud battle cry, and the two men ran at each other, prepped to begin their duel anew.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

The monster let out a long, slow breath, and stared down at them with its blank, cold gaze.

"W-what... is... that?" Nami stuttered.

"That," Roronoa said in deadpan. "would be our doctor."

"WHAT?!"

_"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapters to Come-<strong>

**Chapter 12: A Rumble in the Jungle  
>Chapter 13: It's All Hot Air in the Desert<br>**


	14. A Rumble in the Jungle

**WAHHHHH! I'M SO SORRY! I made you all wait so long for this! I hope you'll forgive me! ****Anyway, school's starting up, so my updates are going to become even more sporadic. I apologize in advance.**

**Also... USOPP HAS OBSERVATION HAKI! I'M SO PROUD OF HIM! And did anyone else watch the 3D2Y special on crunchyroll? That special bit at the end of the end credits made me squeal like a giddy school girl!**

**Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha/Shonen Jump, and Toei Animation. The only thing I own are my original characters.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 12: A Rumble in the Jungle<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Day at Night<br>****Location: Somewhere in the jungle, not too far from the general locations of the Straw Hats (wherever those are...)**

Runo loved his new toys. He'd had some favorites in the past, but these new ones really took the cake. One was strong, one was adorable, and the last one was smoking hot. (Unfortunately, Yari claimed the smoking hot one as one of her dolls for later. Poor thing.)

He stroked the top of the adorable one's (he'd come to call it Fluffy McFluffmeister) head. Fluffy was the only one with him at the moment. The other two, as far as he could sense, were somewhere in the direction Yari had gone in. One factor of his powers was he could always sense where his vict- _toys_ were.

Runo leaned back against the tree trunk and hugged Fluffy close. Using his Hypno Hypno powers for this reason was actually more efficient than using his Haki to keep tabs on his toys. This fact seriously irked and disturbed him. Ever since they landed on this freakish island, it felt like everything had been... muted. Yari had claimed to be having the same problems once they arrived, and announced it openly after those freaking plants caught them for the third time. Vaughan was probably having the same issues, not that the bloody vamp would tell anyone. That guy gave him the creeps.

_Pot and kettle, Runo,_ Vaughan's sarcastic voice echoed in his head.

Great, now he was hearing the blood-sucker's voice in his head. He'd fit right in with all the others he heard.

Back to the muting Haki issue. Besides getting a general feeling that there was currently a good number of people on the island at the moment, he couldn't pinpoint anyone's specific inner voice unless they were ridiculously close.

_"- Nami, where are you-"_

_"- stupid cook-"_

_"- idiot's tougher than he looks, I should probably end it-"_

_"- HE HURT ZORO, HE HURT-"_

_"- WITH A SPOON, SNIPER!"_

Like now, actually. What a coincidence. Runo grinned his 'slasher grin' (as Erity had dubbed it) and looked down at Fluffy McFluffmeister.

"What do you say, Fluffy?" he asked his little toy. "You want to have a go at the targets while I go find Yari?"

Fluffy just stared blankly up at him. Runo decided to take that as a yes.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp<strong>

"The ship's been _what?!_" Carrion shouted into the transponder snail's receiver.

"_It is as I said, sir,_" Yari replied, the snail mirroring what was undoubtedly her somewhat annoyed expression. "_The Silverback has been completely destroyed, and all of our men that were aboard have been defeated._"

Carrion exhaled loudly through his nose. "How, pray tell, did this happen?"

"_I am not claiming to know anything about ships or the infidels you insist upon hiring, but both parties appear to have been cut up by a sword._"

"... Mihawk didn't show up on this island when we weren't looking, did he? If I recall correctly, he has a habit of cutting up galleons whenever he's bored."

"_I sincerely doubt it, boss._"

Carrion frowned. "Then it must have been the Straw Hat Pirates. I'd heard a rumor about the Pirate Hunter cutting apart a pirate's galleon on Sabaody Archipelago."

"_That does not surprise me,_" Yari said with disgust. "_I hate to admit it, but if Vaughan had not interrupted our duel, I might have lost my life. Roronoa is a monster of a swordsman._"

"It's a shame he gave up bounty-hunting to become a pirate. He'd make an excellent replacement swordsman for you, Yari."

"_... Was that really necessary?"_ She paused._ "What I am saying? Of course it was; this is you we're talking about. Whatever. Back on topic, you do not sound all that upset about losing the ship. We will not be able to leave the island now."_

"You just let me worry about that, Yari," Carrion said in a cool tone. "I have a plan for every contingency after all. Now, if that's all you have to report, continue your search for the treasure and the Straw Hats. I do believe that along with their generous bounties, they have a perfectly good ship to donate."

"_Oooh, devious,_" Yari cooed appreciatively. "_I knew there was a reason I followed you._"

"You mean besides the size of your paycheck?"

"_But of course. Goodbye._" _Click_.

Carrion replaced the receiver and glanced around the walls of his tent. Yes, he was paying these imbecilic bounty hunters a hefty sum for their services, and they had yet to deliver anything substantial, at least on the island. How long had they been searching? A day? Less than that? The constant changes in the sunrises and sunsets made determining the passage of time difficult. Whatever the case may be, they were no closer to capturing the Straw Hats and Kāla's treasure than they were when they first weighed anchor (an anchor they no longer had, he thought bitterly. And they had just replaced the chains too!).

Oddly enough, the only one who had made _any_ progress was Runo, and that was a rare sight indeed. He'd captured three Straw Hats and had personally rubbed it in the others' faces when he returned to camp that time. Sure, Erity and Vaughan had returned with Siobhan, but the little brat was still refusing to cooperate.

Carrion snarled. He honestly didn't want to kill her... but she was so infuriating that he desired to slit her skinny little throat.

... Wait, he was contradicting himself again, wasn't he? He needed to work on that. Constantly contradicting one's self made one look like a fool.

Not to say he didn't find this contradiction justified. The brat knew more than she let on and made a game of not telling him a solitary thing. He recalled the brief conversation he had with her right after Vaughan had taken off with Runo and Runo's toys...

_"Holler if you need me, boss," his subordinate said, opening the tent flap._

_"Are you insinuating that I can't handle a 10 year old girl?" Carrion asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Didn't Mr. Vaughan and Ms. Erity have to pull her off you after she bit you five times?"_

_"Just leave."_

_The lackey shrugged and did so. Once he was gone, Carrion turned back to the little brat herself. She was standing up and leaning against the back of her cage, crossing her arms and looking bored. They stared at each other for a few minutes, glaring bitterly at one another. _

_"Twelve," Siobhan said at last._

_It took a second for Carrion to register that she had spoken at all. "I beg your pardon?"_

_"I'm twelve. You told your minion you could handle a ten year old girl, and I'm telling you I'm twelve."_

_"That's hardly relevant to the current matter at hand." _

_Siobhan smirked. "What matter is there? All you did was come in here and stare at me for two minutes. You haven't brought up any matter whatsoever."_

_"I think we both know what that matter I have yet to bring up is," Carrion said, smirking back. _

_"Ah yes, that 'treasure' you're so obsessed with," Siobhan stated, sitting down with her legs crossed. "I won't deny its existence, but what makes you think I know where it is?"_

_"Call it a hunch, my dear. Now, if you decide to cease being difficult and tell me what I wish to know, I will set you free," he offered._

_"Didn't you say you were planning on killing me even if I did tell you?"_

_"I apologize; I did not truly mean that. I was simply caught up in the moment."_

_"Uh-huh, sure. You can just screw yourself. I don't know where it is, so I guess you'll just have to search this island for the next hundred years. Not to say you'll ever find it."_

_Carrion was seriously contemplating taking her out of the cage just so he could beat her smug face in. However, he swallowed the urge given that was probably what the little wench wanted. (The leaving the cage part, anyway.) Instead, he smiled gently._

_"You're the guardian of this island's treasure, are you not?" Carrion asked, managing to sound polite. "If I took it off your hands and left it's protection to the World Government, you could finally leave this place. You could find a new home and wouldn't have to be all alone on this small island. Isn't that you want? Isn't that what every lonely person wants?"_

_Siobhan kept her expression blank, but her golden eyes sparked with fury. Carrion found it to be quite unsettling. That glare alone seemed to make the air itself go stagnant. _

_"Don't you think for a second that you know what I want, Carrion," she said in a monotonous voice. "True, being alone on this islands gets to me now and again, but I'd rather end up a festering corpse on this rock than see you or your 'World Government' get what they want."_

_Carrion swallowed, although his mouth was so dry nothing went down. How could such a young child have such a commandeering presence? Not wanting her to see his weakness, he turned to leave the tent._

_"Oi, hold on."_

_Carrion stopped walking, but did not turn to face her. _

_"I don't know what _you_ think the 'treasure' is, but consider this," Siobhan said with caution. "Somebody went to a lot of trouble to seal it away on a time traveling/space crossing island. Ever wonder why?"_

Carrion sunk into his tent's armchair and chuckled darkly. He_ had_ wondered why, in the distant past at least. That was before he learned exactly what the treasure was. It would not only be his ticket to being reinstated into the Marines. It would also bring about the end of the accursed New Pirate Age that Whitebeard started.

Maybe he would let the girl live after all, to see him unleash it if nothing else. That would wipe the smug look off her face for sure.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Who even knows at this point?<strong>

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'WHAT'S A CLIMA-TACT AND WHAT'S A POP GREEN'?!" Usopp hollered.

"EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE!" Nami hollered right back.

Nami couldn't believe the sight before here. She knew her crew would be different after two years, but this was really pushing it. Usopp was supposed to be a weak, spineless coward who came through for his friends at the right moments. This Usopp... well, he was probably still a coward given how much he was sweating, but he'd succeeded in hurting Erity when she couldn't. He certainly didn't _look_ weak, what with all those new muscles and that strange ammunition. And what was with that slingshot? It kind of reminded her of a stag beetle's horn, but only vaguely.

"Oh no, it's worse than I thought!" Usopp said with dread. "Somehow being captured by that freakish ragdoll man has erased your memories! Dang it, this is just like the incident with the seahorse all over again*****!"

Nami clocked him on the head.

"Ow!"

"You blockhead! I don't have amnesia! And what's this about a seahorse?"

"Never mind the seahorse! If you don't have amnesia, then why don't you know what your own weapon is?" He suddenly looked wary. "You're not an impostor, are you?"

"What? No, of course not!" Nami yelled.

"Prove it! What was the name of the fishman I defeated on your home island?"

"Chew!"

"From whom did we receive the Going Merry?"

"Kaya on Gecko Island!"

"What creature dwells at the bottom of Reverse Mountain?"

"Laboon the island whale!"

Usopp stared skeptically at her for a few moments, and Nami prayed to whatever deity that was listening that he believed her. That last thing she needed was misunderstanding of this nature to add to her already full plate.

"Okay, you're Nami," he decided at last, satisfied. "Now, I repeat; if you don't have amnesia, then what's wrong with you?"

"To make an extremely long story short, I'm not _your_ Nami. In actuality, I'm a Nami from two years in your past," Nami rattled off quickly. "We arrived at this island a little while after your crew did despite the fact we were in Paradise at the time. We've already found your Zoro and your skeleton musician. Me, future Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper came into the jungle to find Luffy after he charged in here like an idiot in order to find you. Got it?"

Usopp stared at her blankly as her words sunk in. After a couple seconds, he gave her his response to all that.

"Are you lying?"

"YOU'RE ONE TO BE ASKING THAT!"

Nami mentally despaired. It was a dark day indeed if she was being accused of lying by _Usopp_ of all people. Then again, her story did sound quite unbelievable, even by his standards.

"Seriously Nami?" Usopp crossed his arms. "I'm the Straw Hat Pirates' number one liar, and even I wouldn't tell that one." He thought for a moment. "Then again, you wouldn't tell such a ridiculous lie in such a serious situation. Maybe you got a head injury! Erity didn't give you a concussion before I showed up, did she?"

Nami frowned. "Who the heck is Erity?"

"That bounty hunter with the mohawk we were just trying to run away from."

"... You're on a _first name basis_ with her?! Usopp!"

"Shut up! I've been following her and her creepy cohorts around for the past day! I just happened to pick up her name during that time!"

"Why were you following a sadistic bounty hunter around when you could have been trying to find your crew?!"

"What do you _think_ I was trying to accomplish by following them around? They captured our friends, I'm not stupid enough to go after them alone, so I was trying to hinder _their_ plans in any way I could! Only then that CP9 wannabe found me and shot _my_ plans to hell!"

Nami was about to retort, when something about his words registered with her. "Our friends were captured? Was I one of them?"

"You were, and now your sudden appearance here is starting to make sense."

Both pirates froze. Usopp hadn't been the one who had spoken. They slowly turned their heads to the side, and not surprisingly, there stood Erity. She didn't look any less angry or unlikely to deprive Usopp of his manhood, but her expression was also oddly contemplative.

"I thought it was weird you looked so different than when I last saw you," Erity noted. "Your hair and your height, for example. Not to mention those meat sacks you call boobs aren't nearly as grossly swollen..."

"Hey!" Nami protested indignantly.

"But if what you just told Sniper King is true, then it all makes sense," the bounty hunter went on. "That's why you did so pitifully back during our... _fight,_ if that's what you want to call it. You're a younger version of Cat Burglar, therefore inexperienced. You haven't learned any of the abilities that make you so formidable in my time."

"What?!" Usopp gasped. He turned to Nami. "So you really _are_ from two years in the past?!"

"Why is it that you believe her right off the bat and not me?!" Nami hollered, whacking him upside the head.

"Ow! Can you blame me? You didn't explain it very well and I thought you were concussed!"

"Arghh, you are such an idiot!"

"Ow! Stop hitting me, Nami!"

Erity watched the argument and sweatdropped. She was half-tempted to let them fight it out themselves, until she remembered everything that longnosed nuisance put her through.

"Kāla's truly a mysterious place, if it's capable of bringing Straw Hats of two different times together," Erity broke in, interrupting the bickering pair. "Personally, I don't really care about any of that. It all comes down to the fact that young or not, you're still Cat Burglar Nami. I can turn in your and Longnose's bounties just as easily either way."

Nami and Usopp took a few nervous steps back. The grin Erity gave them resembled an angry cat that was just two steps away from catching a very persistent and annoying mouse.

"So, who's going to be stupid enough to attack me first?" Erity asked, taking a stance.

Nami shoved Usopp forward. "He is!"

"I was hoping it would be!" Erity admitted chipperly.

Usopp whirled around and gave his comrade look. "Nami, what the heck?! You completely just threw me under the boat!******"

"I'm sorry Usopp, but I'm not qualified to take on a New World bounty hunter!" Nami explained. "As of right now, you're the strongest Straw Hat here, so make her beg for mercy!"

"I'm the strongest Straw Hat here?" Usopp repeated. Realization dawned upon him. "I'm the _strongest Straw Hat here_." Realization melted away into solid deadpan. "Wow. This is kind of bittersweet."

"Less complaining, more bringing on the hurt!" Nami ordered.

"Right!" Usopp drew back his slingshot and fired. "_Phoenix Star!_"

A burst of flame in the shape of a bird surged towards the mohawked woman, but this time she was ready. She flashstepped out of the path of the phoenix and reappeared in front of Usopp before he could evade her.

"_Shigan_!"

Erity jabbed her finger into Usopp's shoulder, and it went in as if she had stuck it into butter instead of human flesh. Blood spurted out and Usopp reeled backward as he cried out in pain.

"The gauntlets make it hurt so much more than it usually would, you know," Erity sneered. She stuck out her right arm and spread out her fingers. "_Go Shigan: Flying Stinger!_"

From the claws of the gauntlet came five sharp bursts of air, striking Usopp's right arm like gunfire before the sniper could recover from the previous hit. More blood spurted out as Usopp gave an agonized shout and fell to the jungle floor.

"_Usopp_!" Nami yelled out worriedly. She ran over to him and sat him up. "Are you okay? Aside from the obvious, I mean."

Usopp grunted and gripped his shoulder. "Dammit... she's smart..."

"What makes you say that?"

"I need... both arms to shoot a slingshot."

Nami paled and glanced at his wounded arm. That arm wasn't going to be so much as lifting a fork, let along pull back the strap of a slingshot, any time soon.

"Guess we now know why she wears the gauntlets, though," Usopp went on as Nami helped him stand up.

"Like it?" Erity asked casually, holding one of her armored arms up. "Got the idea from watching that pigeon freak back during training. Claws really open a lot doors when you're trying to kill someone."

Nami had idea what about what she said did it, but suddenly Usopp looked like he'd been electrocuted.

"Pigeon... freak...?" he repeated slowly.

"I assume you know who I'm talking about," Erity continued, walking towards the pair. "My associates told me you even went as far as to challenge him on the Bridge of Hesitation. That was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid, but taking what I know of you, I'm going with the latter."

She had reached the pair. She kicked Nami aside and roughly pinned Usopp against the bottom of one of the ginormous trees.

"I mean, the only reason you survived this long was because you kept running away instead of facing me at close quarters, and also by catching me off guard." Erity squeezed Usopp's wounded shoulder, making him grunt. "You've got some guts, but at your core, you're just another coward. What a disappointment. Why Straw Hat would let such a letdown onto his crew is beyond me."

_I mean, I still can't believe this sniper is really part of the crew _he_ fought so hard for_, the bounty hunter thought to herself. _I just don't get it_.

"You shut up!"

Erity turned her head to the side. Nami was back her feet, shaking but firm. She looked downright murderous.

"Usopp is not a letdown!" Nami seethed, holding her still bruised stomach. "My time's Usopp always comes through in the end, and I know that much won't change two years from now! He would never do anything to hurt this crew or disappoint us! He's going to be a brave warrior of the sea so shut your stupid complaining mouth!"

Erity raised an eyebrow. "Those are just pretty words, girlie, if I don't see actions to back them up. You just stay there while I break your friend's nose. Shouldn't take too long."

She turned her head back to Usopp, only instead being nose to nose with him, she was now staring straight at shell with little holes in it's surface.

"Oh for the love of-" she began.

"_IMPACT!_" Usopp called out.

"_TEKKAI!_"

The red-haired navigator didn't know what she had just seen. It was as if some concussive force had exploded from the shell and sent Erity flying backward 20 feet into a massive tree. This time, she didn't get back up.

Usopp slid to the ground and landed on his feet, staggering. Nami was over at his side to steady him almost immediately.

"Good thing I've beefed up some," Usopp commented tiredly, holding the shell up. "If I had done that two years ago, I would have dislocated my shoulder."

"That was amazing! You actually beat her!" Nami gasped. She frowned. "Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"I wasn't close enough," he replied simply. "And of course I beat her! I'm the Great Pop-Greens Master Usopp! I couldn't call myself a Straw Hat if I couldn't do something so simple!"

Nami gave him him a knowing smile. "Then why are your knees shaking?"

Usopp looked down and sure enough, his knees were knocking together at a rapid rate.

"S-shut up! I've been running from her all morning and I'm tired! It's not because I thought she was going to kill me just now!"

"Sure it's not." Nami chuckled. "Glad to see some things stay the same over the years."

"I bet. I still can't believe you're a younger Nami," Usopp said. "How far back are you from?"

"Chopper joined our crew just a few days ago."

"Seriously?! _That_ far?!"

"I'm afraid so. I'll give you better details when we meet back up with your time's Zoro and my time's Chopper and Sanji. And I'll want to know everything that's happened to you."

"Seeing Chopper sounds really good to me right about now," Usopp groaned. He perked up. "Oh hey, does this mean Vivi's with you?"

"She is," Nami answered.

"Aw man, I've missed her so much. It'll be great to see her again." He lost some of his perkiness. "Um, Nami? Did you really mean what said back there? About how I would never do anything to hurt or disappoint the crew?"

"If I didn't meant it I wouldn't have said it, dummy," Nami scolded him lightly, putting his good arm over her shoulders for support.

Usopp grimaced, as if remembering something painful.

"Usopp? Is there something wrong?" the navigator inquired.

"No, there's nothing wrong," the sniper replied quickly. He shifted his weight so Nami wasn't carrying it all herself. "Come on, let's get out of here before that psycho wakes up. I doubt she'll fall for the same trick twice."

"Okay. I'll try to lead us back to my group. Hopefully they've found Luffy and we'll have more man power for when she_ does_ wake up and tries to break your nose and/or castrate you again."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Nami chuckled and the pair started moving in the opposite direction of Erity. They had only gone a few feet when they heard clapping. Not fast, laudatory clapping, but the slow kind people only do when they're being sarcastic.

"Bravo," a male voice said. "I have to say, for being one of the weakest members of the crew, you did remarkably well, Sniper King."

The voice's owner stepped out of the wall of vines and shrubbery that was in front of Nami and Usopp. It was a young man with black hair and red eyes. He had a rifle strapped to his back and two holstered pistols, but what really concerned them was the long broadsword balanced in the crook of his elbow. It looked as if it were forged from some kind of red crystal. There was something on the ground behind him; he had probably been dragging it behind him before he stopped to clap.

"Who are you?!" Nami demanded. She turned her Usopp. "Is he one of the bounty hunters?"

"I am," the man responded before Usopp could. He shifted the sword back into his hand. "My name's Vaughan. As I was saying, getting one over on Erity is no small feat. Color me impressed."

"You should be!" Usopp boasted, looking braver than he felt right now. "I beat her, so don't think I can't beat you too!"

Vaughan smirked. "I said you got one over on her. I never said you beat her." He looked past the pirate pair. "Oi, Erity! How much longer are you going to play possum?!"

Nami and Usopp's eyes widened as they turned to check on the mohawked woman. As they did, they got twin punches to their faces, sending them crashing to the ground in front of Vaughan.

"I'm done now," Erity said coolly, straightening out and placing her hands on her hips. "And please don't mention possums. They remind me too much of that annoying zoan we turned in last month. Remember him?"

"I do. He _was_ annoying," Vaughan noted. He glanced down at the pirates. They weren't unconscious, just stunned. With a sweatdrop he asked, "Did you have to punch them while still wearing the gauntlets?"

"Yeah, did you?" Nami croaked, holding her bruised cheek.

"Put a cork it, both of you!" Erity snapped. "They had it coming! That sniper hit me in the face with an _impact dial_!"

"Oh, that explains why your nose is bleeding," the red-eyed man said cordially.

Erity removed a gauntlet and wiped her nose. "I got my Iron Body up in time, which is why my face isn't a mural of smashed bones and cartilage right now. I'm thankful a bloody nose is _all_ I have to worry about." She glanced at Vaughan. "You seem to be sporting more than a few scrapes and bruises yourself. You and Runo have a run-in with somebody?"

"Runo ran off on his own a while ago. I did, however, have 'a run-in with somebody', as you so eloquently put it." He reached down and lifted up what he had been dragging. "See for yourself."

At the sight of his cargo, Erity, Nami, and Usopp's eyes all widened. The first's eyes widened in surprise, the latter two's eyes did so in horror.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Wherever the heck it is Roronoa, Sanji, and Chopper are at this point...<strong>

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING, MOSSHEAD?!" Sanji hollered up to the future swordsman.

"LOOKING FOR NAMI, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!" Roronoa hollered back.

"BY CLIMBING A _TREE_?!

"YOU SAID GO NORTH, SO I CLIMBED THE TALLEST THING HERE!"

"_NORTH_ AND _UP_ AREN'T THE SAME THING!"

Chopper sweatdropped. "Come on, guys... we need to find Nami..."

After watching Sanji panic and run around in circles about losing his precious 'Nami-swan' for a few minutes, Roronoa had tripped him and told him to get a hold of himself. Once Chopper gave the cook an ice pack, they sat down to figure out what their next course of action would be. Chopper suggested that since Nami had been taking them north, she might try to keep going in that direction. By that logic, they might find her if they kept heading north. Sanji and Roronoa readily agreed, seeing as neither of them had any better ideas.

Which brings them to right now...

"JUST GET DOWN FROM THERE, YOU NINNY!" Sanji ordered.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, NUMBER 7!" Roronoa argued.

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN _MEAN_?!"

"WOULDN'T _YOU_ LIKE TO KNOW!"

"Roronoa, Sanji, maybe you two should stop yelling," Chopper said timidly. "You might attract the wrong kind of attention, like more bounty hunters."

"Or maybe Nami and Luffy will hear us and come running," Sanji suggested half-seriously. He took out a fresh cigarette and lit it, muttering, "Damn mosshead... heaven forbid he actually learn the cardinal directions after two crappy years."

Chopper looked up at the cook curiously. "Sanji, why do dislike Roronoa so much?"

"He's mosshead, ain't he?"

"No, I mean you seem to dislike him more than you dislike our Zoro. Is it because he beat you back on the Merry?"

Sanji took a drag and thought that one over. He was sure his... beating (fine, he admitted it) was part of the reason. The other part though...

_The two search groups split up. As Sanji's group headed for the jungle and Zoro's headed back to the Merry, the green-haired swordsman made a point of walking past the cook. _

_"Watch him," he whispered._

_He said it in such a quiet voice that Sanji almost missed it. He didn't miss it, however, and gave a brief nod in response. _

Sanji didn't like a lot of things about Zoro, but he couldn't deny that man's instincts were usually right. If he thought there was a reason not to trust Roronoa, chances were that there was something not to trust. Though, the chef found his new task rather difficult. Like Luffy had said earlier, Roronoa was still nakama, past or future. Not trusting a member of his own crew left a sour taste in his mouth. And as a chef, he usually appreciated the occasional, subtle sour taste. But not this time.

(Yes, despite popular belief, he_ did_ trust Zoro. They were in the same crew, how could he not?)

"Yeah, sure, that's the reason," Sanji told Chopper. "Bigger Idiot Mosshead's too cocky for his own good."

"Oh, alright." That seemed to satisfy the little reindeer. "Hey, actually, why do you dislike Zoro in general? I've been wondering that."

Geez, why did the doctor have to keep asking the difficult questions. Sanji sighed. "It's kind of complicated. You see-"

"Cook, Chopper, _heads up_!"

It took one second for the aforementioned pirates to turn. It another second for the elder swordsman to jump down from his perch and deflect the attack with Shusui. Said attack appeared to be a glowing slash of air. Once Shusui diverted it's path, it went straight into the tree branch Roronoa had previously been standing on. The branch fell to the ground, looking like it had been cut.

Sanji gaped, looking from Roronoa to the branch. He turned to Chopper. "Please tell me Roronoa didn't just save me."

"But he _did_ save you," Chopper said, confused.

Roronoa ignored the other two, glaring up into the tree adjacent from the one he had been standing in.

"Am I correct in assuming you're the source of all these Tempest Kicks?" he called up.

Chopper and Sanji looked up as well, and were shocked to see two people standing in its branches; a man and a woman.

"You assume correct, Roronoa!" the woman called back. "I'm impressed you were able to deflect it so easily! Then again, I'm told you were the one who beat Kaku, so I shouldn't be too amazed!"

Roronoa's eye narrowed ever so slightly at the name Kaku. Chopper looked at Sanji for an explanation, but the blonde shrugged.

"Oi, Pirate Hunter!" the man called down. He had a crystalline red sword tucked through his belt. "Remember me?!"

Roronoa grit his teeth. "You're the red-eyed freak who tranquilized me!"

"They're the bounty hunters?!" Chopper gasped. "Oh no!"

"How the hell did you find us?" Sanji asked.

Erity and Vaughan gave them deadpan looks and said in unison, "We heard you yelling like a bunch of idiots."

Sanji looked down at Chopper. "Not a word out of you."

Roronoa studied the two bounty hunters up above him. They were too relaxed for people who knew there was a prospect for a fight. They knew something the Straw Hats didn't.

He glanced at Vaughan's sword. "Hey, red-eyed freak! You're a sniper _and _a swordsman?"

"My name is Vaughan, and yeah, I am!" he answered. "I find it useful to have more than one skill set here on the vast Grand Line. Why, you want to fight?"

The green-haired swordsman smirked and brandished his sword. "I do owe you for tranqing me."

"Oh yeah, that. I'm still trying to figure out why you didn't die. That amount of tranquilizer would have dropped an elephant." Vaughan shrugged. "I'll fight you, but you better have improved from the last time I saw you fight. Otherwise you'll bore me."

"How could I have improved over the course of a _day_?" Roronoa deadpanned.

"What, you think I mean when you fought Yari? That hardly counts. The last time I saw you _really_ fight was two years ago." The red-eyed man smiled darkly. "On Sabaody Archipelago."

The smirk on Zoro's face melted into a hateful snarl. Sanji flinched when he saw it. True, the smug, condescending way Vaughan had said that made him feel angry too, but the look on the swordsman's face gave him chills.

"I watched from behind one of the mangroves. It was good effort, but I felt your performance faltered a little bit at the end there," Vaughan went on. "Not that I stuck around for the whole thing. I hit the road after Dark King stopped old man Kizaru from blowing off your head. Though with your ugly mug, that might've been an improvement."

"You bastard!" Roronoa cursed.

"Why do people always call me that? My parents were happily married _long_ before I was born. Don't take the fact that you're a weakling out on me."

"Get down here so I can gut you, you-"

"Okay, both you shut up!" Sanji broke in. "Clearly, there are some unresolved issues here. But since this is obviously a future thing, I don't want to know about it. What I _do_ want to know are the whereabouts of the older Nami and Usopp." He looked up at the bounty hunters. "We know you did something to them, and you're going to tell us what."

"And if we decide not to?" Erity asked, placing a manicured hand on her chin.

"I would hate to have rough up such a lovely lady, but if it's for my nakama, I will do what's necessary," Sanji said suavely, bowing slightly and placing his hand on his chest.

"Sanji," Chopper said in awe. "That was so cool!"

Sanji smiled. Of course it was. He was way cooler than that swordsman.

Roronoa didn't seem to hear Sanji or Chopper. He was too busy glaring angrily at Vaughan.

Erity raised an eyebrow and gave Sanji a slightly confused look. "'Lovely lady?' Hmm, that's different tune than from what you were singing earlier." She narrowed her eyes, as if studying Sanji more closely. "Oh, wait, hold on, you're the younger Sanji. That makes more sense. Nonetheless, I'd think twice about threatening us if I were you."

Sanji was about to retort, but Roronoa barred him back with his arm. "And why's that?"

Erity swept out her arm grandly. "Vaughan, show them what's behind figurative door number one!"

Vaughan nodded and thrust his hand out. When he did, what appeared to be two bodies shot out of the branches.

It wasn't just any two bodies; it was Nami and future Usopp. They hung in the air, their bodies clenched and stiff looking. Veins throbbed visibly against their skin, and both looked to be in pain. Thankfully they appeared to be conscious.

"NAMI!" Sanji cried out.

"S-Sanji!" Nami choked out.

He saw her multiple and many bruises. He seethed. Those crappy hunters had hurt his precious Nami. They would pay.

"Who's that with her?' Chopper asked. "He kinda looks like..."

"It's Usopp," Roronoa finished for the reindeer. He looked truly and utterly pissed. "My time's Usopp."

"_That's_ Usopp?!" Sanji asked in disbelief.

The cook and the reindeer stared at the sniper for several moments in sheer awe. The sniper looked down at them, eyes looking at them expectantly.

"... FUTURE USOPP'S ALL _MANLY_!" the duo shouted incredulously.

Roronoa face-palmed.

"_WHY_ IS THAT SO SHOCKING?!" Usopp shouted, his teeth looking comedically shark-like. He looked down at Roronoa. "Zoro, be careful with these two! Vaughan can control blood and I think Erity might be an ex-CP9!"

"CP9?" Roronoa repeated. He frowned. "That would explain how she knows Kaku."

"You're from CP9?" Vaughan asked his companion. "I recognized the fighting style but I never thought you were from them."

"Technically, I was never part of the official team. You see-" Erity began to explain before apparently changing her mind. "Never mind. It's a long story and not one I can tell sober."

"Converse on your own time!" Roronoa broke in. "I don't care what abilities you have or if you're from some defunct black-ops unit! I don't take kindly to a bunch of jackass bounty hunters hurting my crewmates. You're both going down and you're going down hard. I will fight you both if I have to!"

"Hey, what about us?" Sanji argued, hands in his pockets and tapping the toe of his shoe against the ground. "I'm not letting you play white knight to Nami's damsel in distress."

"They're too strong for you and Chopper," Roronoa retorted. "Besides, you couldn't kick a woman to literally save your life."

Chopper wilted at this news. He'd been hoping he could fight for his crew this time.

"But wait, there's more!" Vaughan said, sounding like a game show host. "If you decide to fight the first and second lieutenants of the Carrion Bounty Hunters, not only do you get the chance to free a navigator and a sniper, but you also get..."

He thrust out his other hand , and another body burst from the trees branches. This one made every present non-captive Straw Hats' blood run cold.

"_LUFFY!_"

The rubber captain looked terrible. He was covered in dried blood and he had... were those _gun shot_ wounds? Luffy couldn't be shot! He also had cuts, which made a little more sense, but those bruises he had sure didn't. And to make matters worse, he too hung stiff in the air, but he wasn't conscious.

Vaughan haughtily removed Luffy's hat and placed it on his own head. "Have to say, for a near rookie, he didn't do too bad."

"How'd you beat him anyway?" Erity asked. "Past or future, Straw Hat is still a tough one."

"That's a trade secret."

"... You got bored and knocked him out by making the blood rush to his head cause you didn't bring tranq darts, didn't you."

"... You know Erity, if you were a pirate captain, you'd be named Captain Killjoy."

The pirates ignored the bounty hunters. Roronoa looked ready to kill something (preferably said bounty hunters), while Chopper and Sanji looked on in astonishment. Had Luffy been defeated so easily? They knew these New World guys would be tough, but to make their near-unbeatable captain appear so helpless...

"Hello?" Vaughan called down, making the three captive pirate wiggle in the air. "You guys still with us?"

"Stop that!" Sanji yelled, hoping he didn't sound desperate. "You sick piece of crap! Let them all go, NOW!"

"Okay!" Vaughan agreed chipperly.

The three Straw Hats below went blue in the face. He wasn't going to actually...

Vaughan raised his arms up and, before anyone could stop him (namely Erity), thrust them down. Instantly, the captive Straw Hats stopped floating and fell towards the jungle floor. Nami and Usopp screamed, and Luffy... was still unconscious and most likely had no idea as to what was happening.

Lucky for them, their nakama were quick. Roronoa and Sanji both jumped into the air and caught Luffy and Nami respectively before they could hit the ground. Chopper went Heavy Point and caught Usopp.

"Whoa, nice reflexes!" Vaughan complimented. He turned to Erity. "Hey, you see that? That was-"

Erity punched him the face and sent him tumbling out the tree. "MORON!"

The Straw Hats that were all conscious shivered at Erity's heartless action. _She's a demon_...

As Erity jumped to the ground, Vaughan jumped to his feet and held his cheek. "What the _heck,_ Erity?!"

"How could you just toss our hostages over to them?!" Erity shrieked. "That's against the point of taking hostages in the first place!"

"What do you want me to do? I was getting tired from using my powers all dramatically like that, which, might I remind you, was _your_ idea. So I don't need some old hag nagging me."

"Old hag? _Old hag_?!" Erity was on the verge of going into hysterics. "Listen here, Enoch, I'm 29! That's only three years older than you! I am not _old_!"

Vaughan crossed his arms. "I'm 27, Erity. If you were really three years older than me, that would make you..."

"Don't say it!"

"Make you..."

"_Don't freaking say it!_"

"... _30._"

That did it. Erity punched him into the ground again, only this time she wore her gauntlets. There might have been a little Tekkai in there as well.

"I'M STILL 29 DAMMIT!"

While the bounty hunters worked out their issues, the Straw Hats tended to their own. Chopper laid Usopp against a tree, and Roronoa knelt next to him, not relinquishing his hold on Luffy however. Sanji was also perfectly happy carrying Nami bridal style and made no effort to set her down.

"Nami, are you okay?" Sanji asked softly. "Those bruises..."

"I'm fine, worry about Luffy and Usopp!" Nami insisted, letting herself down.

Chopper began examining the two of them. "Oh no, they're both seriously wounded! We need a doctor, is anyone a doctor?!"

"_You're_ the doctor, Chopper!" Roronoa scolded him. They had no time for childish antics.

Chopper stopped freaking out. "R-right. Sorry."

"I'll be okay, Chopper," Usopp said. "Focus on Luffy. He looks worse off than I do."

Roronoa finally set Luffy against the tree trunk so Chopper could do his job, then moved in front of Usopp.

"Usopp, did Nami fill you in?" he asked.

"Briefly," the sniper responded. He clutched his arm.

Roronoa glanced at the wounds. "You get those protecting Nami?"

"Yup," Usopp replied tersely.

Roronoa smiled. "Good man."

"We're nakama," Usopp shrugged (as if that answered everything), then winced in pain. He looked toward Chopper and Luffy. "How's Luffy?"

Chopper lifted his head up, his eyes tearing up. "It's bad... he's lost a lot of blood. He needs a transfusion but I... I don't..."

Before the little doctor could continue, something bizarre occurred. Flowing, floating ribbons of red liquid streamed through air and entered Luffy's wounds. This made Luffy grunt in his unconsciousness, but did not wake him. When they all looked to see where it was coming from, they saw it was coming from a no-longer-being-punched Vaughan.

More specifically, it was coming from his now liquefied sword. Once the red liquid (what they realized was blood) finished entering Luffy, all the wounds scabbed over.

The pirates stared at the bounty hunter.

"Sorry," Vaughan apologized. "I forgot to give that back to him after our fight. I hope you'll forgive my negligence." He glanced at his now empty hand, then smacked his forehead in a "d'oh' manner. "Oops, silly me. Now I don't have a sword. I guess I'm going to have to take a rain check on our duel, Pirate Hunter."

"You're a terrible actor," Erity muttered, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "I hope you realize this will be a whole lot harder now that we've lost our hostages."

"Have you no faith in your own abilities, Erity?" Vaughan asked.

She rolled her eyes again. "You better hope the boss doesn't find out you messed up so bad."

Roronoa stood up and held up Shusui. "What are you playing at, Vaughan?! Last time I checked, bounty hunters don't help or release their targets!"

"And you would know that, being a former bounty hunter and all," Vaughan agreed. "I'd love to sit down and have some witty pre-battle banter about this, but..."

At the exact moment Vaughan paused in his speech, a strange sound echoed through the jungle. It sounded like some kind of roar, and a pained one at that. It made those who heard it break out into a cold sweat.

"... I'm afraid this is where we make our exit!" Vaughan finished, tossing Luffy's hat to the swordsman.

With that, he snatched Erity's hand and went charging into the jungle, the mohawked woman protesting and cursing the entire way. This left the Straw Hats to wonder what the heck just happened.

However, they didn't have long to muse over it. Not long after that roar sounded, the ground began to shake at even intervals, in unison with loud thumping noises. It was almost as if they were...

"... Foot steps?" Nami thought aloud.

"What could make foot steps that big?" Sanji wondered. "Giants?"

All of sudden, Roronoa stood ramrod straight, as if a charge had gone his spine, and broke out into a sweat. "No... this feeling..."

"Zoro?" Usopp spoke up, pulling himself into a standing position. "Care to share with the class?"

Roronoa didn't answer. He was now staring at Chopper.

Chopper shifted uncomfortably. "Roronoa? Is there something wro-"

**"_ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR_!"**

The Straw Hats held their ears as the roar resounded through the trees. It was the most horrible thing the younger pirates had ever heard. The elder pirates, on the other hand...

"That roar..." Usopp muttered. He turned sharply to Roronoa. "You don't think it's-"

Roronoa reached down and lifted Luffy up, placing the straw hat back on his captain's crown. "It is."

The sniper grimaced. "That's never good. He never goes for the big guns unless the situation really demands it."

Before any of the others could ask what those two meant, the roar finished and it's owner broke through the trees. Sanji, Nami, and Chopper stepped back in abject terror. This was...

It was a giant, furry creature with hooves, massive arms, and long, black fingers. It's solid white eyes were icy and cloudy, and it's giant antlers look as if they could pierce anything. And for some strange reason, it wore shorts and blue hat that would have been cute in any other instance, but not this one.

The monster let out a long, slow breath, and stared down at them with its blank, cold gaze.

"W-what... is... that?" Nami stuttered.

"That," Roronoa said in deadpan. "would be our doctor."

"WHAT?!"

**_"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!"_**

The pirates had to cover their ears again, except Roronoa, who was too busy holding Luffy.

"Hold on!" Sanji yelled over the noise. "How can.. how can that _thing_ be _Chopper_?! I've seen nearly all of his transformations and he's never turned into _that_!" Sanji looked down at the doctor. "Chopper, what-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Chopper's face. The poor thing had a horrified, awestruck expression on his face and was shaking so badly you'd think he was having a seizure. It was if he couldn't comprehend the beast before him could even exist.

"T-that f-f-form..." Chopper stuttered. "I-It's..."

_"I ate three rumble balls, and then lost consciousness. What happened?" Chopper asked weakly._

_"I suppose you could say your devil fruit went wild." Doctorine removed her glasses. "No matter what happens, you can't let yourself go down that path."_

"I-It's..." Chopper repeated.

The beast raised it's arm. He was preparing to attack.

"Chopper, what are you doing?!" Usopp shouted frantically. "Talk to us!"

"I don't think he can," Roronoa said tersely. "Dammit, I thought he said _this_ wasn't going to happen anymore...!"

"What's going on?!" Nami screamed. "Why is Chopper like that?! What won't happen anymore? What _is_ this?!"

"It's... It's his...!" Usopp began.

The present Chopper, the young one, swallowed.

_"A power that destroys your foes but turns you against your friends and your own body as well? There's only one word for a creature like that."_

Tears filled Chopper's eyes.

_"A monster._"

"... MONSTER POINT!"

"RUN!"

**"_ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR_!"**

* * *

><p><strong> Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 13- It's All Hot Air in The Desert**_

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I'm not doing the next chapter preview anymore. It's puts me into a box and I don't like boxes. Oh, and if you catch any errors, tell me in a PM, <span><em>NOT<em> a review. I like my work to have quality after all!**

**EDIT: Some of you have been "correcting me" on how "Future Chopper can control his Monster Point." I am perfectly aware of this. If you read what happened at the beginning of the chapter, you'd know something was wrong with him courtesy of Runo. I've been hinting at it the entire story. Three "toys," Runo's Hypno powers... come on! It's not that hard!**

*** **This is a reference to the anime-only Ocean's Dream Arc of One Piece. All of the Straw Hats lose their memories of being a crew except for Robin.

****** The usual phrase would be "thrown under the bus", but I don't think they have buses in the One Piece world.


	15. It's All Hot Air in the Desert

**What up ya'll? I'm back with another chapter! School's well underway, so updates will be slow going from here on out. But seeing as this is officially my most popular story, I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS!**

**SBS 3!**

**Chapter Question: "****_Which do you prefer; reading the One Piece manga or watching the One Piece anime?_****"**

I don't really prefer one over the other, for both have their own pros and cons. The anime has a few filler arcs and episodes I actually kind of like, as well extra bits and pieces that are not shown in the manga. The manga is where the anime originated, so naturally I love that as well. My only complaints about the former is that it's so darn long. Some aspects and scenes from the manga are drawn out longer than what's really necessary. I mean, look at Fairy Tail. They get their anime arcs done in 10-20 episodes tops. Even so, I continue to watch it faithfully, because who doesn't want to see their favorite scenes animated and in color?

In this story, you will see I have included some aspects from the anime, such as Ace's goodbye scene in Alabasta, the Ocean's Dream Arc, and Film Z. I chose to incorporate those simply because they worked with what I was writing. I will include a couple others as well. As for what they will be... here's a hint: This isn't the first time we've seen the Straw Hats have trouble with rainbow colored fog and time displacement. Any guesses?

**Oh and if you go to my profile, you'll find a link to a picture I drew of my bounty hunter OCs and Siobhan! (I'm not the best artist, but my sister and friends said it came out pretty good, so here's hoping.)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 13: It's All Hot Air in the Desert<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Sunset (Time Day Lasted: 3 Hours)<br>****Location: Aboard the Going Merry, sailing in the waters near Kāla's southwestern beach**

_The first thing Vivi notices is the stabbing pain in her chest. Like, as in someone had literally stabbed her there. The second thing she notices is that she's in a tomb, and it's falling apart around her. _

_The architecture was familiar to her. It resembled temples back home in Alabasta. Scratch that, it _was_ the architecture of temples from Alabasta. She was in the tomb of kings, just outside of the royal palace._

How do I know that?_ she thought. _Better question, how did I get here? Wasn't I on Kāla just a little while ago?

_Her body ached so much she could barely even move her head. All she could do was roam her eyes around the crumbling room. Not far from where she leaned back against a wall, she could see a giant blue block of stone, covered in squiggly writing. A poneglyph... but how did she know that? What was a poneglyph? The princess wasn't sure why, but she somehow knew it was important. _

_Before Vivi could ponder it further, she felt someone lift her up and heaved over their shoulder. When she looked to see who it was..._

Luffy?!_ she yelled in her head. She then looked to her left to see that the pirate captain had another passenger._ And Papa?!

_Both men looked awful, to say the least. Vivi had longed to see her father for years, but not like this. Her father's arms had terrible wounds, and Luffy was caked in blood and sand. Vivi felt her usual worry take hold, strengthened a 100-fold. What had happened to her father, and what had happened to her friend? Why were they all in a tomb that was coming down on their heads. _

_Luffy looked up. "'Kay. Let's go."_

_"Hold on," Vivi said. _

_At least, she thought she said it. She felt her lips moving of their own accord, and the voice that came out didn't sound like her own. The voice she spoke in was older, more mature. It had a silky quality to it, or at least it would have if she didn't sound like she was about to start sobbing uncontrollably. It also sounded vaguely familiar, but the verge-of-sobbing part threw her off and kept her from recognizing it. _

_"I no longer have a reason to live!" Vivi's new voice continued, breaking angrily. "Just leave me here!"_

What the heck am I saying?!_ Vivi scolded herself mentally. She would have done it audibly, but her mouth wasn't listening to her. _Luffy, ignore everything I just said! I _do_ have a reason to live! My country needs me! My people need me! My father needs me!

_In her attempt to thrash (which she couldn't do; her body refused to comply), Vivi finally got a good look at her body... after which she nearly freaked out. This body was older and tanned, draped in a thick white coat. And why the heck was she wearing a corset?! You could see her breasts!_

Not _my_ breasts,_ she thought. _This isn't my body. I... am I seeing someone else's experiences through their eyes? Why would I dream up something like this?

_She glanced back up at Luffy. He was staring at her (not her, she realized, but the woman whose body she was inhabiting) with that blank expression he got sometimes. You could never tell what he was thinking when he looked like that. For a brief moment, Vivi grew concerned. He wasn't seriously considering listening to this woman's suicidal plea, was he?_

_"You're coming with me," the rubberman said at last, much to Vivi's relief. "Do what you want once we're out of here."_

_Vivi felt the woman's body stiffen. She could feel her outrage as well. How dare this... this... this _boy_ force her to live!... __Yet, at the same time, Vivi could sense there was also a feeling of disbelief. He didn't owe her anything. Why save her...?_

_"You... you can't do this to me!" the woman went on, earning the princess's frustration. "Just let me die, dammit!"_

_This time Luffy gave her a hardened glare as he began jumping up on to debris, making his way out of the tomb._

_ "Why the hell should I listen to you anyway?" he asked seriously._

_Vivi supposed the woman didn't have an answer to that one, because she didn't reply. The only response were the hot, pain-filled tears that spilled down her cheeks._

* * *

><p>"Quaw?"<p>

Vivi opened her eyes to a quiet quack and something hard nudging her shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw that it was a very concerned-looking Carue, doing the nudging with his bill. He was sitting on the deck, and she was curled up against him.

"Carue?" she said quizzically. She smiled. "Did you wake me up because you were worried about me?"

Carue nodded. "Quaw."

Vivi chuckled and stroked her beloved bird's head. "Good boy. Thank you."

_What a strange dream,_ she thought. _It felt so real... could it have been like the dream Usopp told me he had? _She dismissed that thought. _No, he said his was like a memory that hadn't happened yet, and it was from his own point of view. I wasn't me in this dream. I was someone else._

The princess glanced around her surroundings. She was not in a tomb in Alabasta, but aboard the Going Merry and sailing the waters around Kāla. She and Carue were lying against the side railing. The deck was washed in a lovely golden-red color from the setting sun, and the 'mystery fog' gather ominously on the horizon.

"Day didn't last very long this time," Vivi commented to herself. It had been awhile since the two teams split up. She hoped Mr. Roronoa and his team found Luffy and Future Usopp before night fell. Darkness would make finding their comrades unnecessarily difficult.

"Vivi-san?"

The blue haired girl startled when she faced the speaker. It was Brook, who had been sitting against the mast with his violin. To her embarrassment, she realized he had been playing when she had fallen asleep.

"Oh, hello Mr. Brook," she greeted as politely as she could. The musician still unnerved her. "Sorry I fell asleep. It wasn't a comment on your music or anything."

"Yohoho, it's quite alright," the skeleton assured her. He played a few soft notes on the strings with his bow. "You've had a taxing day so far. I would have been surprised if you _hadn't_ fallen asleep. You certainly look as if it did you some good. Perhaps some sleep would do well to remove the bags around my old eyes." He paused. "Ah, but I don't have eyes anymore! Yohohoho!"

Vivi smiled. Yes, the skeleton still unnerved her slightly, but when he wasn't being a pervert, he wasn't bad company. Even the skull jokes were starting to grow on her. She could see why Luffy would want someone like him on the crew, besides whole afro-skeleton part.

"Anyway, music can be appreciated many different ways," Brook went on, tuning his instrument. "The piece I was performing when you nodded off was soft and melodic, so the fact you _did_ fall asleep meant it soothed you to some degree. In a way, by sleeping you were giving me a great compliment."

Vivi, deciding to forget about her strange dream for the time being, stood up and moved closer to Brook, Carue in tow. "Most musicians would take my falling asleep as an insult."

Brook waved a bony hand. "Vivi-san, as you can see, I'm not 'most musicians.'"

"You can say that again."

Brook let out another laugh and returned to playing. Vivi took this lull in the conversation as a chance to see what the others on board were doing. Mr. Bushido was up in the crows nest. (Asleep as well, knowing him. Or maybe not, if he was as wary of Mr. Brook as he was Mr. Roronoa.) Usopp was next to the Merry's figurehead, keeping an eye out for Mr. Roronoa's crew's ship with his spyglass. Since he neglected to mention to describe the ship as a future Going Merry or another ship entirely and Brook wasn't talking, the sniper was currently searching for any ship bearing the Straw Hats' jolly roger.

Seeing things were being handled on the deck, Vivi took a hesitant seat in front of Brook, Carue also quickly following suit. Brook had a frightening appearance, but Luffy accepted him as a crewmate in the future, so Vivi no longer wished to be afraid of the musician.

"You know, taking into account how you dress, I don't see you as the violin type," she observed. "I can see you with an electric guitar though."

Brook chuckled. "I am well-taught in many instruments, Vivi-san. As for how I dress, it's just a style I picked up over the last couple years. I do have a electric guitar though; I just left it back on the ship. I've been using it more often these days, but Luffy-san has always preferred my violin music, so that's one of the reasons why I brought it with me on the island."

"Luffy really likes music, doesn't he?"

"That he does! All pirates appreciate music, Vivi-san! Why, my crew before the Straw Hats was made up almost entirely of musicians!"

That surprised Vivi slightly. "You were on another crew before you joined Luffy's?"

Brook's stopped playing for a moment. "Yes, the Rumbar Pirates... but that was quite literally a lifetime ago."

He then went back to playing as if nothing had happened, but Vivi felt guilty. The way he'd said that sentence had been wistful, and slightly sad. She hadn't meant to dredge up any painful memories. How to fix this...

"... Well, I guess it _would_ be a lifetime ago," she said hesitantly. "Considering you're an undead skeleton and all."

Brook ceased playing again and gave Vivi a long stare. For one nerve-wracking moment, Vivi thought she had crossed some kind of line by making a joke in a tense situation. Her fears were laid to rest, however, when Brook broke into his usual peals of joyful laughter.

"Yohohoho! Skull Joke!" Brook laughed cheerfully. "I can't believe I missed that one; I must be losing my touch!"

Vivi let out a sigh of relief and Carue gave her a congratulatory pat on the head. That had been a close one.

"That's what I can't figure out," Usopp's voice broke in. The sniper walked over to the three by the mast. "You're a walking, talking, afro skeleton. How the heck is that even possible?! Someone like you _shouldn't_ be possible!"

"Usopp!" Vivi scolded.

"Usopp-san," Brook said. "We're sailing on the Grand Line; nothing is impossible here. From what I've read about your adventures, you've already seen many of the wonders it has to offer and you have yet to even reach Alabasta."

"Okay, that's a fair point," Usopp conceded, thinking of Reverse Mountain and Little Garden. "Still, I have you wonder how you're possible." He shivered and took a few steps back. "You're not some ancient pirate cursed to wander the Earth as an undead skeleton, are you?"

"Nothing quite so dramatic," Brook explained, setting his violin down and gesturing Usopp to sit down. When the sniper did so, he continued. "You're close though. Depending on who you ask, some might say I _am_ cursed. You see, I am the way I am today thanks to the Revive Revive Fruit."

"You're a devil fruit user?" Vivi asked in disbelief. "Like Luffy and Tony?"

Brook nodded. "That's right. When eaten, the Revive Revive Fruit allows the user to come back to life once after death. However, it's powers aren't apparent immediately. When I first ate the fruit, nothing happened so I thought it had been a dud... that is, until I tried to go for a swim. I nearly drowned! To this day I can still feel the water filling my lungs... not that I have lungs anymore. Yohohoho!"

"That doesn't explain why you're a skeleton," Usopp said, crossing his arms. "Shouldn't you still have flesh if you came back to life right away?"

"Well-"

"Hold on, Mr. Brook!" Vivi interrupted. "I just realized something. Are you it's okay to tell us this? Luffy gave orders that you were not to tell us anything."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Usopp added.

"Luffy-san ordered me not to reveal the future," Brook reasoned. "But my origin story happened well over fifty years ago, even by your placement in time. So I'm not disobeying him by telling you."

Usopp, Vivi, and Carue looked at each other, looked up towards the crow's nest to make sure Zoro wasn't watching, then back to Brook expectantly.

"As I was saying," Brook went on. "I didn't actually come back to life right away. I had perished in a rather foggy place, so it took my soul awhile to locate my body. By the time it finally did..." He wiggled his bony fingers. "Well, you can see the results for yourself."

"Your body _decayed away_ in the time it took your soul to find it?" Vivi said with a hint of disgust.

"If that's the case, why do you still have hair?" Usopp asked, also looking grossed out.

"Strong roots," Brook replied simply, sipping tea from a thermos.

"... I don't think that's how it works. And where did you get that thermos?"

Brook chose to ignore that last question, opting to instead take another sip from said thermos. Usopp in turn gave him an annoyed glare, then an inquisitive one. How was he able to even _drink_ tea, being a skeleton?

"... Do you ever find it difficult?" Vivi asked suddenly.

"Find what difficult?" Brook inquired, turning to look at the princess.

"Being a skeleton. Obviously when people first see you they're going to think the worst. I mean, look at me and Usopp. We completely panicked and thought you were a monster before we even got to know you."

Usopp looked guilty when Vivi said that, as did the speaker herself. Both felt bad about how they reacted, even more so now that they'd heard Brook's story. Usopp felt especially awful, for he'd held on to his dislike for the skeleton the longest. Now that they thought about it, the way they had treated Brook was not unlike how the people of Chopper's island treated him; panicking without learning the facts. The princess and sniper, despite only knowing him a few days, adored the little reindeer. If he had been here, he most definitely would have been disappointed if he had come upon the same realization.

Brook thought that one over for bit before answering. "... Trust me, Vivi-san, you're not the first person to be afraid of my appearance and you won't be the last. You should have seen how Sanji-san and Nami-san looked when I first met them; they were petrified! Ah, but that is a tale of the future, so I won't go into detail." He set down his thermos and looked down at his hands. "Anyway, I suppose I did find it difficult at first, but I've had nearly 52 years to grow accustomed to my form. While frightening, I would rather be alive and looking like this than dead and not here. It's because I lived that I met Luffy-san and the Straw Hats, and that I will able to fulfill my longest held dream; the dream that was my reason for living all those lonely years."

He looked up and turned to face the princess and the sniper. Though he had no skin or lips, they could tell he was smiling.

"It is truly wonderful to be alive, no?" he asked them. "And to have nakama and a reason to keep on living as well."

Vivi gaped the skeleton- she was sure that Usopp was doing the same thing. They had no idea the same skeleton who had asked to see Vivi's underwear and laughed at Roronoa's nickname was capable of such words. His sincerity seem to drive away anything they had found scary about him, and had them smiling.

"Ah, Vivi-san, I just remembered! While we are asking each other things," Brook went on. "Perhaps would you allow me to see your-"

"MR. BROOK!"

_**BONK!**_

"Yohohoho! How harsh!"

Usopp sighed and stood up, walking away and mumbling, "Way to ruin the moment, pervert."

Unknown to the four on deck, Zoro had actually been listening in on the entire conversation and had found himself sweatdropping at Brook's inappropriate question. However, despite the sudden turn of events, it was safe to say Usopp and Vivi no longer held a reason to fear the skeleton. Satisfied, he slumped back down into into the crow's nest to continue his partial nap (couldn't slack off at a time like this).

Meanwhile, as the undead musician laughed himself silly on the deck, Vivi thought back to his heart-felt words about being alive. It made her remember a part of her dream.

_"I no longer have a reason to live!" _

Vivi somehow found herself smiling. Whoever that woman in dream was, the princess hoped she had found her reason to keep on living, just like Brook had.

"Yes," she said softly as Carue nudged his head into her lap. "Being alive is pretty wonderful."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp<strong>

Siobhan couldn't believe she was saying this, but she missed Vaughan. While irritating, he'd at least been a nice distraction at the end there. Now that he'd been gone for a few hours now, she could officially say she had never been more bored in her life. And considering how many times she had gotten bored while living on Kāla by herself, that was saying a lot. Not even her brief discussion with Boss (she still didn't care what his name actually was) did much to alleviate her boredom. All that succeeded in doing was putting her into a bad mood when the dolt ignored her warning.

_'Isn't that what every lonely person wants?'_ she mocked him in her head while glaring at her generic crony guard. _Bah, what does he know anyway? Nothing, given he ignored my warning. It's his funeral and I will personally spit on his grave when he gets himself killed._

Her eyes glanced around the tent. The crony guard was sleep (hence why she was glaring at him), a few random barrels were scattered about, and her father's staff on the desk. Her eyes lingered on the latter.

_Boss knows nothing about me or my wants, _she thought._ Nobody knows I what I really want. Not even Captain-sama knew, and he could read me like a book after only a week. Not even my father knew..._

Oh great, now her eyes were getting teary, as they did whenever she thought of Life Before. Siobhan closed her eyes and smacked her cheeks. She couldn't let this way of thought continue, because once she started thinking of her father she started thinking of her brothers, of Renard, of the villagers, of Saatatya...

Dang it, she thought of Saatatya! Now she was going to be in a funk for the rest of the day (or night. Going off of the light streaming through the tent flaps, it was sunset right about now actually).

Sighing, Siobhan opened her eyes... only to see a strange woman standing in front of her cage.

"What the _heck_-!" she shouted, jumping to her feet. She winced when she realized how loud she had been, then glanced at the crony. Luckily, he was still fast asleep.

"Sorry," the woman said quietly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You're not real," Siobhan whispered bluntly.

"Oh? Why am I not real?"

"Your inner voice sounds weird, like an echo. I'm guessing you're some kind of copy of the original, and that original is somewhere nearby."

The woman chuckled. "Fufufu, you're a clever one. I'm impressed."

Siobhan rolled her eyes and sat back down. "I've seen every bounty hunter in this camp, so I know you're not with Boss. What, are you one of the pirates that showed up?"

"I am," she replied.

"Yeah, some of your friends might in trouble. There's this guy named Runo-"

"Baba Runo the Dancing Haze, yes, I know," the woman replied. "I've already encountered some of his comrades, and I've heard of his reputation, but my friends are capable of taking care of themselves. I'm not worried."

"Sure you aren't."

"Even if I was, I have no idea where any of them are, so there isn't much I can do. In the mean time, I could free you from this cage if you want."

Siobhan chuckled hollowly. "Nah, that's fine. As much as I want out of this cage, now's not the right time. You know how the saying goes; good things come to those who wait, even if its boring."

The woman smiled. "I don't think that last part is in the saying, but suit yourself. One last question though; you wouldn't happen to know if there are any ruins around here, would you?"

Siobhan raised her eyebrow. As a matter of fact, there were two sets of ruins on the island; the Greater Ruins and the Lesser Ruins. The lady seemed trustworthy enough, but still... she couldn't risk revealing the location of the former.

"There is just one set of ruins," Siobhan lied coolly. "They're pretty small, and they're a good ways west of here. I can't give you specifics though."

"That's alright, I'm sure I'll be able to find them somehow," the lady assured her. "Thank you."

"No problem, now get lost. As tempted as I am to talk to you about being a pirate, I don't want that crony to wake up or Boss to show up."

"Oh, you're interested in pirates?" the woman asked. She smiled gently. "Maybe next time then."

Siobhan didn't know how she was expecting the lady's copy to leave, but melting away into a flurry of flower petals was definitely not one of theories. She stared at the spot she had been standing for several minutes, after which the crony guard finally decided to awake.

"Huh? Wha?" the guard mumbled sleepily. He stood up and turned to glare at Siobhan. "Hey brat, what're you doing? What're you staring at?"

"Nothing..." she replied slowly. "Just a tornado passing by."

The guard simply raised his eyebrow, not unlike how Siobhan had done just minutes earlier. What a bizarre little kid.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Night at... Night?<br>****Location: Kāla's southwestern beach**

"That's them alright," the leader of Theta Unit said, lowering his binoculars.

"Is it now?"

"They have the jolly roger."

"Hmm."

He turned nervously to the _hmm_-er. Of all the people his squad had to run into, why did it have to be _her_? All they had wanted to do was salvage what was left of the Silverback.

"Are you positive?" Yari went on to ask, taking a prim sip from a china tea cup. She was sitting on the back of one of his men like a chair. (Luckily for the poor sap, Yari was a small woman.) "It is awfully dark out, even with a full moon."

Theta Leader swallowed thickly. "Of course ma'am! Why would I give a false report to you? That'd be absurd!"

His men echoed his words his agreement.

"Completely absurd!"

"We're sure, Ms. Yari!"

"We would never fail you!"

Yari expression clearly stated she didn't believe them for a second. "I do not know... your squad does have a rep for being incompetent. Was it not your team that had a couple of its members eaten by a freshwater sea king?"

Theta Leader winced as one of his men started crying. "To be fair ma'am, I don't think anyone would have expected there to be a sea king in lake."

"Failing to expect the unexpected is a good way to get yourself killed," Yari said icily, finishing her tea. She stood up and pointed her finger at the ship on the water in the distance. "Well, no matter. For now I will trust your judgement. Prep the cannons salvaged from the Silverback to fire some hooks; I want them reeled in and I want off this damn beach." She looked down at the pink sand beneath her boots. "I simply _abhor_ sand."

"But weren't you born in a desert country, ma'am?" a female member of the unit, Nikki, asked innocently. She was new.

Everyone else in the unit took a deep breath and stepped back.

Yari slowly turned her head towards Nikki, resting her parasol over her shoulder. The smile on her face looked cordial enough, but the cold in Yari's eyes was enough to freeze even the hottest of flames.

"You are new, are you not?" Yari asked. "Nikki, was it?"

Nikki gulped, but nodded.

Yari's smile widened in such a fashion that befitted a member of the Creepy Duo. "You are a pretty one. I think I will keep you."

Before anyone had time to blink, Yari was directly in front of Nikki, one of her long gloves off and her bare hand on the poor woman's face.

"_Nerve..._" Yari whispered. "_... Paralysie.*****_"

It was a horrible sight. Nikki's eyes widened as veins of dark pink light ran across every inch of her body. Once the light faded, she fell backward into the sand, her body stiff and unmoving.

No one said a word. All the unit could do was dart their eyes between Yari and Nikki, as if they believed that if they dare to speak as well, they would receive the exact same punishment. This was unlikely, however. If Yari had wanted to do that to them, she would have already done so.

"See to her," Yari spoke finally, pulling her glove back on. "And if there are no more foolish questions, I do believe we have a ship to catch."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Aboard the Going Merry, sailing in the waters next to Kāla's southwestern beach, several minutes earlier. <strong>

"Give it a rest, Usopp," Zoro sighed, clapping a hand on the sniper's shoulder.

"No, I will not 'give it a rest' until we find that stupid ship and that stupid shipwright!" Usopp snapped, not tearing his eyes away from the spyglass.

"The only thing you're going to find in the dark is a shipload of nothing," Zoro pointed out.

Usopp said nothing.

Zoro sighed. "Fine, suit yourself. Vivi got some stuff out for sandwiches by the way; ero-cook ain't here so we're on our own for dinner. Or lunch. Or whatever you want to call it."

Usopp ignored him again, so Zoro shrugged and headed back into the galley. As he had said, Vivi had set out ingredients for sandwiches so she, Brook, and Zoro could make whatever they wanted. Carue was sitting next to the table, awaiting eagerly for a the plate of food Brook was setting down next to him.

"Here you are, Carue-san," Brook said, standing back up. "Enjoy!"

Carue quacked in gratitude and began eating.

Vivi looked up from her food when Zoro came in. "Usopp's not joining us?"

Zoro shook his head and took a seat next to the princess. "Nah; he's not coming in until he finds the future crew's ship. I want to find it too, but his attitude is bordering on obsessive. He didn't even try to tell me the 'Great Captain Usopp' once discovered an ancient civilization or some other lie to convince me he could do it."

Vivi pursed her lips. She had a theory as to why Usopp was acting like this.

"Vivi-san? Is something the matter?" Brook asked, pouring a cup of tea for himself and her.

"There might be," she admitted, taking the tea. "I think I know why Usopp's so eager to find the future ship." She turned to Zoro. "Mr. Bushido, do you remember what your older self said when he came to? You were listening in from outside, right?"

Zoro leaned back in his seat. "Hmm... I think he started explaining how he came to be unconscious in the woods, then asked if you guys if anything had happened before you brought him back to the ship."

"Right, but that's where Usopp's problem lies." Vivi said. She frowned. "He didn't ask if we had brought him back the _Merry_; he asked if we had brought him back to the _Sunny_. I even asked him about it, but right after he started getting confused about his situation so I never got a full answer."

Zoro figured out where Vivi was getting at. "Usopp's worried that our crew isn't sailing on the Merry anymore in the future, huh?"

Vivi nodded. "We talked about it a little while you guys were searching along the beach."

"If that is the case, then it would explain a few things."

"Really? Like what?"

"When Roronoa barreled on to the deck, he looked like he couldn't believe where he was standing."

The princess and the swordsman both turned to look at the only future Straw Hat on board.

"What are you looking at me for?" Brook asked, despite his tone saying he knew exactly why.

"You might as well tell us what we want to know," Zoro said, crossing his arms. "We're probably going to see for ourselves anyway."

"Mr. Brook, please?" Vivi added.

Brook heaved a heavy sigh (though he had no lungs) and placed his tea cup down on the galley's table. "Alright, if you wish to know... then I'll tell you. Today marks the first day I've sailed aboard the Lamb-chan."

It took a second for the two to realize that "Lamb-chan" meant the Merry, and once they did, both their eyes widened.

"I was a rather late addition to the crew," the skeleton went on. "I've heard of the Lamb-chan only through what I've read in the log book and what I've been told about her. The only ship I've ever known with the Straw Hats is-"

"-The Thousand Sunny," Vivi finished. She lowered her gaze. "That was the name Mr. Roronoa said right before everything got confusing."

Brook only nodded in response.

That was a sobering thought. Vivi had only been sailing on the Going Merry for a few weeks and she already loved the caravel dearly. Zoro had to admit he was also disappointed, but not too surprised; Merry had been built in and meant for the East Blue, and the Grand Line was a cruel mistress. Both knew how much Usopp cared for the ship; he was going to be devastated.

However, before either of the two could ask Brook any further, the ship took a heavy lurch to the left and then again to the right. Everything went sliding and the sudden motion made Vivi stumble and Brook fall out of his seat. Zoro, who caught himself before he could fall, caught the tumbling princess while Carue caught Brook on his back.

The door to the galley burst open, and there stood a terrified Usopp.

"We've g-got trouble!" he said stammered out quickly.

The crew wasted no time. They hurried out of the galley and on to the main deck, where the found large hooks attached to long, thick chains buried into the starboard side of the deck. The chains themselves were coming from the far-off beach... that is, the far-off beach that was getting increasingly closer. It was a miracle the ship wasn't tilting again from the pull.

"Those hooks look familiar to anybody?" Zoro asked rhetorically in deadpan.

"Aw crap, the bounty hunters found us!" Usopp shrieked. "And they're reeling us in like fish on a hook!"

"But will they gut us and eat us like fish is the real question," Brook added. "Not that I have any guts. Yohohoho!"

"Brook! Don't say things like that!"

"Yohoho, so sorry, Usopp-san! Seeing as Robin-san is not with us, I felt that it should be my duty to make the morbid comments! She actually said something similar to what I just said before we arrived here."

"Still, now's not a good time!" Vivi shouted, suddenly not looking forward to meeting this 'Robin-san.'

Zoro ignored the other three and immediately drew all his swords, charging towards the chains. However, when he attempted to cut them, the blades just bounced off.

_Dammit, they're made of steel! I can't cut steel yet!_ Zoro thought bitterly. When he remembered that his future self_ could_ cut steel, he grit his teeth so hard on Wado's hilt that he chipped a tooth. He turned to Brook. "Oi, Brook! You wouldn't happen to know how to cut steel yourself or know how my future self does it, do you?!"

"Sorry, I don't possess that ability, Zoro-san!" Brook replied a little frantically. At the moment, he, Usopp, Vivi, and Carue were desperately trying to remove the hooks from the deck but to no avail; they were lodged in too deep. "Cutting steel is more for 'power-type' swordsmen; I'm a 'speed type!' Anyway, Roronoa-san tried explaining it to me a while back, but all he said was that I needed to was 'feel its breath!'"

"What the heck does that even _mean_?!"

"That's what I said!"

In the time it took for that useless conversation to take place, Merry had ceased being reeled in and the ship was currently about 30 feet from the shore. Torches had been set up all across the sand, providing better light to see with; not that there was anything good to see at the moment. On the beach stood a large crowd of men and women. Heavily-armed men and women to be precise.

The Straw Hats ran to the railing to get a better look at the enemy. Yup, there definitely were a lot of them_ and_ weapons to be seen.

"Alright Straw Hats, surrender peacefully!" a man carrying a mace called out. "We have orders to bring you in alive, so no unnecessary fighting would be preferable!"

"Oh, since you asked _so_ nicely...!" Zoro responded sarcastically, Wado still in his mouth.

"At least they're different than the group from the galleon," Vivi whispered. "They were eager for a battle."

Carue nodded in agreement.

"For some reason, none of that makes me feel better," Usopp whimpered.

"Well?" the lead hunter continued to call out. "What's it going to be?!"

Brook step forward, sword partially drawn. "I'm afraid we're going to have to decline! Our captain would be displeased if he discovered we surrendered without putting up a fight! Luffy-san does so love fighting!"

Usopp, Vivi, and Zoro glanced at the musician, impressed. 'Rather late addition to the crew' or not, he really got Luffy's expectations down pat.

Inspired by Brook, Usopp jumped up on to the railing, hands on his hips and trying to look intimidating. "Brook is right! In fact, _you_ all should be the ones thinking about surrendering! I, the Great Captain Usopp, have secretly filled the jungle with eight thousand warriors, who are all ready to annihilate you all at my command!"

Zoro groaned mentally, Vivi slapped her forehead, and Brook just looked confused (as confused as a skeleton could look, anyway). The bounty hunters had similar reactions.

"Seriously?" the lead hunter (Theta Leader) said doubtfully.

"He doesn't actually expect us to believe that, does he?" another added.

"Mr. Vaughan or one of the others would have sensed _that_ many people on the island," the next one commented.

"Ha!" a haughty voice mocked from within the crowd. "What a wholly ridiculous lie! With the way your knees are knocking, I doubt a coward like you could get a _dog_ to obey you, let alone eight thousand warriors!"

The pirates' attentions immediately snapped towards the owner of the voice. It was so haughty and condescending that they could help but _not_ ignore it. Said owner moved through the crowd of bounty hunters, the others moving out of her way quickly so she could reach the front.

The voice's owner was a petite woman in her 20s, with short violet hair that fell an inch or two beneath her chin and bangs flopping over her right eye. The visible eye was jade green with a mole underneath it, and she had tanned skin that spoke of untold hours underneath the sun. Odd, given she was barely showing any skin.

Her clothes consisted of a purple (with pale pink under-layers) dress with short puffed-up sleeves that revealed her shoulders and v-shaped indent in the collar (it looked vaguely Lolita, save for the fact the skirt of the dress was flat). Along the collar of the dress was a white bow with a pink skull ornament, and around the waist was a white sash also with a pink skull ornament. She also wore dark pink/light pink striped stockings, dark pink boots, long white gloves that nearly reached her shoulders, and a purple top hat with a white ribbon and a red flower. Around her neck was a gold metal choker with tear drop-shaped adornments and she wore gold earrings consisting of two linked orbs each. Despite it being night, she carried a dark pink and black umbrella.

If you wish to skip that blurb of text, just know she looked like some demented cosplayer... who happened to own a very nice umbrella.

"I have to say, I think I like this ship better than the one we saw you in earlier," she went on, closing her umbrella. "You do not see many caravels around these days."

"You have a point?" Zoro growled down to her.

"Considering you destroyed the Silverback, Pirate Hunter..." she replied. She grinned widely. "... We accept your generous donation of one pirate ship along with your respective bounties."

In the instant it took to blink, the creepy woman vanished from the spot she was standing.

"Huh?" Usopp wondered.

"Where did she-" Vivi began.

Before the the princess could finish, all of a sudden Brook stood in front of the three past pirates, his sword drawn and hold back the blade of the woman, who was now inexplicably standing on the railing.

"The hell?!" Zoro yelled.

Glaring at each other, the skeletal swordsman and eerie swordswoman drew back and clashed swords several times. Both used quick, thrusting motions with their blades, almost in perfect unison. When the woman lunged her with sword, Brook easily parried it and pushed her back. The woman did not fall, instead performing a flip off of the railing and over the pirates' heads, landing neatly on the deck.

"It appears we have similar fighting styles, my lady," Brook noted with false casualness.

"Quite," the woman agreed, brandishing her sword in front of her. "We are both speed types, we both use a fencing style, and we both wield shikomizues." She smiled. "Soul King Brook, right? It is a shame you turned out to be a pirate; I actually rather liked your music."

"It's always nice to meet a fan."

"I also like how you ignored the fact my statement was in past tense."

"Wait, hold up!" Usopp shouted, making a time-out symbol with his hands. "Was that lady going to do that thing where you cut us without our realizing it? Like you did to the hunters earlier, Brook?!"

"Yes," Brook answered plainly. "Luckily I stopped her. Her technique was so similar to mine that I was able to detect her. Compared to me though, she's very slow."

"You are just a skeleton, of course you would be faster," the lady admitted. "No muscle or anything to weigh you down. In any case, you are not who I am here for primarily." She turned her gaze to Zoro and Usopp. "I may want the Soul Kings's bounty on top of yours, but I have unfinished business to settle with the two of you."

Zoro vaguely recalled Roronoa talking about fighting a female swordsman. He readied his blades.

"Huh? WHY ME?!" Usopp wailed.

"I have business with Roronoa because we were dueling earlier and Vaughan so rudely interrupted us." Her gaze became a hard glare towards the sniper. "I have business with you because I spent the greater part of the last day entangled in your damned flytraps. By the time I am finished with you, the officers at the bounty office will barely be able to recognize you. Good thing for me you wear a mask in your wanted poster, Sniper King."

"If he's wearing a mask in his wanted poster, how do you know I'm this Sniper King guy? Not to say I'm not a superior sniper in my own right."

"Sniper King's mask has a hole cut out of his mask for his stupidly long nose."

"Oh... hey! My nose is not stupid!"

Yari ignored the sniper this time, smoothly tucking her sword under her arm as she removed her long gloves. "Personal vendettas aside, I do look forward to capturing you all and taking your ship. You have been evading the Navy as far back as that wretched dust bowl in Paradise, and Loguetown even before that. One has to wonder how long your devil's luck will last. I for one will enjoy finding out."

_Dust bowl?_ Vivi repeated in her mind. In that moment, she became filled with anger. "_Dust bowl_?! Are you talking about _Alabasta_?!"

"Vivi, this really isn't the best time for this," Zoro muttered. Quite a feat, considering his sword was still in his mouth.

"Shut up, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi snapped uncharacteristically. "I will not allow her to slur the name of my home!"

That caught the lady hunter's attention. "... I beg your pardon, but are _you_ from Alabasta?"

Vivi nodded, a determined look on her face.

The huntress narrowed her eyes (well, the one that was visible), then opened them wide. "No way... Princess Nerfertari_ Vivi_? Is that _you_?"

Off all the things she could have said at that moment, the pirates sure as heck weren't expecting that.

"How... how do you know that?" Vivi stammered.

"It is not hard to figure out," the huntress sighed, spinning her blade in her hand. "You are the spitting image of Queen Titi."

"Mama..." Vivi whispered without realizing it. Carue gave her a sympathetic look.

"Wait, you know Vivi's mom?!" Zoro asked, scowling. "Call me crazy, but I doubt royalty hangs out with scumbag bounty hunters like you."

"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" the huntress sighed. "Whatever, it is not like Queen Titi and I were personal friends. She just visited my village in the badlands once when I was a child. She played with all the children that day. It was actually kind of fun."

"You're from Alabasta Kingdom?" Brook asked.

Vivi swallowed a lump in her throat. Was she really...?

... She thought that jewelry looked vaguely Alabastan.

"That is right," the huntress confirmed. Her expression became slightly disgusted. "I am a former _sand rat_, just like our dear princess over there. Only difference is that _she_ is _still_ one."

_Sand rat._ Vivi felt her blood boil; that was a derogatory term for Alabastans she'd heard too many times during her run with Baroque Works. And here was a supposed _Alabastan native_ using the exact same term!

"If you're really from Alabasta, how could you speak of your home so poorly?!" Vivi demanded to know. "And what are you even doing in the New World?!"

Zoro removed his sword from his mouth and re-sheathed it, but not the other two. They weren't fighting at the moment, but he had to be ready. In any case, he was somewhat curious to hear the huntress's answer.

The huntress scoffed. "Hmph. You have your dear old daddy to thank for that one, princess. Tell me, do the words 'Baba Siblings' mean anything to you? Perhaps something King Cobra told you?"

Vivi's outrage vanished and she paled visibly. "No... you mean...?"

The huntress removed her top hat and bowed. "Baba Yari, at your service. Though, seeing as you are with pirates, my services may not be in your best interest."

_"Last Nerve" Baba Yari_

_4th Lieutenant and Swordswoman of the Carrion Bounty Hunters_

_Runo's Sister (Twins)_

"I'm taking from the way you paled just now that this is not a good thing?!" Usopp said, removing his slingshot from his satchel.

Vivi nodded. "The Baba Siblings, Baba Yari and Baba Runo, were a pair of bounty hunters that operated in Alabasta years ago. They were good at what they did, but they always caused a lot of collateral damage. A day came where they went completely overboard and a lot of people got hurt."

"I was young and inexperienced, what you do expect?" Yari defended herself, placing her hat back on her head.

Vivi continued her explanation. "The Royal Army arrested them and brought them before my father. Seeing as they did catch pirates all the time and did our country good, he was reluctant to throw them in prison. So instead-

"-He decreed that we were to leave Alabasta's borders and never return," Yari finished blandly. "Yes, yes, enough with the ancient history."

"Ancient history? It was only three years ago!"

"It was five actually, not that I am holding a grudge. Runo still harbors some resentment, but I myself was quite happy with the decision. The only thing I liked about that sand trap was the perfume... ooh, and the clothes. The clothes were simply divine provided they were not rags. As you can see, I am wearing a Lolita/Alabastan fusion design for my outfit."

"Mr. Bushido, Mr. Brook," Vivi ground out, ignoring Yari's outfit flaunting. "When she finally decides to stop talking... cut her to ribbons."

"I like the way you think, Vivi," Zoro said, tying on his bandanna. "Sounds like a plan."

"May I see her panties first?" Brook added seriously.

"Not even if you paid me," Yari answered calmly before Vivi could do so not as calmly. "But while we are asking questions, I will ask Vivi one; what _are_ you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Alabasta preparing for this year's Reverie?****** The newspaper _did_ say your father was too ill to go this year and that you would be taking his place."

Forget going pale; Vivi felt her heart skip a good number of beats. "Papa... is _sick_?*******"

_How could she not know that? Strange..._ Yari thought. She glanced around the Merry's deck. "You know... now that I think about it..." She pointed at Usopp. "_You_ were way more muscular when I last saw you..." She pointed at Zoro. "... And _you_ were missing an eye. Not to mention I am still trying to figure out where in the blazes you got this ship. I like caravels, but that brigantine sloop you had earlier was much nicer."

Yari contemplated all the possibilities until she came up with a viable answer. "Oh, I bet this is what that little snot Siobhan meant when she said _others_ were coming. In that case..."

She stuck two fingers into her mouth and let loose a high pitched whistle. One she was done, she called out, "Easy pickings, boys! Come on up!"

The pirates had briefly wondered what that large crowd of hunters who had threatened them first were waiting for. It had ended up being Yari's signal.

With a mighty battle cry, the large crowd of hunters charged up the still-attached chains and onto the Merry. It was like being hit with a tidal wave of bodies. Usopp immediately began to frantically shoot Exploding Stars, and Vivi barely had any time to jump onto Carue's back and pull out her Peacock Slashers.

"Mr. Brook!" Vivi hollered over the din. "I know we're not supposed to fight without your permission, but I think we need everyone to participate for this!"

"I am forced to agree!" Brook responded, fending off a bounty hunter that wielded a katana.

And participate they did. Usopp made his way up to the crow's nest and put his sniper skills to use; Lead Stars, Egg Stars, and Exploding Stars rained down on the enemy, knocking out a few, but only irritating the rest. Any hunter that tried to climb the rigging to reach Usopp got a Lead Star right to the forehead. Vivi rode on Carue, whipping out her slashers without discrimination; though it did little good to actually stop them, it did distract her enemies long enough for one of her crewmates to finish the job.

"Mr. Brook!" she called out on one instance.

"Yohohoho! Yes, Vivi-san!" Brook answered. He took out his violin and began playing a merry tune. "_Party Music_!"

The past Straw Hats weren't sure what was happening exactly, but all of a sudden several of the men had enraptured expressions and some were even dancing along... until Brook appeared behind them with his cane sword (Soul Solid, he'd told them it was called) in one hand and sheathe in the other.

**"**_Quinte Tierce..." _He sheathed the sword._ "Fantasia!"  
><em>

The small group of hunters fell, sword cuts all over their bodies. This time there was no ice, but it was still pretty amazing to see. The small group now down for the count, Brook returned to aiding Vivi.

Zoro, meanwhile, had already unsheathed Wado Ichimonji again and was attacking his own set of hunters.

"_Tatsu Maki!_"

This attack managed to send some of them flying over board and cut several more of them up, but it wasn't enough. Zoro decided to go for the classics.

"_Oni Giri!_"

Much to the green-haired man's shock, the hunter in front him that he had been intending to slice up parried the attack with relative ease.

"Not bad, kid," the hunter said, his broadsword straining against Zoro's katanas. "But you need to be faster than that to take us on."

Zoro didn't let this affect him for too long; he quickly turned on his heel and lifted two of his swords over his head. "_Bleeding the Wolf!_"

While the hunter guarded against Yubashiri and Kitetsu as they came down, Zoro was able to cut the man's stomach with Wado. For good measure, Zoro used the moment the man crouched down to grasp his wound to kick him overboard. That being done, Zoro glanced around the Merry.

_We're barely making any progress,_ he thought bitterly. _So many are still standing, even with wounds. The only one who's getting anywhere is Brook_.

Zoro usually appreciated strong opponents, but just looking at these ones reminded him of how easily his older self had taken them down. Dammit, if he could be that strong in the future, he could be that strong now!

In his eye wandering, his gaze fell upon Yari. The little witch wasn't even fighting; she was just sitting on the railing observing the whole battle taking place right in front of her.

"Hmm... hypnosis using music as a medium," she was muttering to herself, watching Brook. "I will have to tell Runo about that one."

"Oi!" Zoro barked, walking up to her.

She barely glanced at him. "Oh? What do you want?"

"You were the one going on about testing our devil's luck earlier," the young man pointed out. He aimed Yubashiri at her. "Did you mean that or was it all just talk?"

Yari rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. But I want to test the devil's luck of the _Straw Hat Pirates_, not a bunch of inexperienced, overconfident rookies."

Again with the being called overconfident rookies. Zoro was really getting sick of that. "My older self said you nearly cut his head off. Sounds to me you'd make a worthy opponent."

"_You_... want to fight _me_?" Yari asked. She chuckled. "Do you have a death wish? I catch pirates from the New World for a _living_. You would not last _half_ as long as your older self did."

"You said you never got to finish your duel with the Pirate Hunter. I'm not the kind of man who lets a battle go unfinished," Zoro reasoned. He lowered his weapons slightly. "You're right though; you're probably very strong and I might not win. Honestly, I don't _have_ to really win. You're attacking my captain's ship and I'm not letting that slide, so if I get you off and send you packing, that'll be a victory for both me and my crew."

Even if winning _was_ the objective, he wouldn't lose. He promised he would never lose again after all.

Yari looked mildly impressed. "Your conviction is commendable, Pirate Hunter." She stood up and held out her sword. "Very well, I will fight you if that is what you want. Just do not say I never warned you."

Zoro took a battle stance. "Don't worry; I won't."

Yari struck first. She lunged her blade so quickly that Zoro barely had time to guard. She repeated this motion at rapid speed, stepping forward with each thrust. This kept Zoro on the defensive and made him keep moving back. He swung out the swords in his hands, but Yari skillfully ducked out of the way and swung at his legs. Zoro jumped out of the way, but not before she was able to nick his calf. He backed up a bit and lifted his swords over his head.

"_Tora..._"

Yari grinned.

"_... Gari!_"

The attack never made contact; lept into the air long before the blades even came down. It was almost as if...

_... She knew what it did_, Zoro thought all in one agonizing second._ She predicted my move before I even made it_.

For the love of Pete, did_ everyone_ from the future know how to do that? Zoro seriously needed to know if this was an actual thing or just a fluke.

Still in the air, Yari performed an artful flip and aimed her sword directly down.

"_Coupe Aérienne: Pluie Sabre!_"

As she fell to the ground, she made lightning-fast downward thrusts towards Zoro, similarly to Luffy's Gum Gum Gatling. Zoro had no other choice but to simply deflect with his own swords and dodge. One slash sliced through his shirt directly down the middle, splitting the front in half and revealing his chest scar.

It was at that point Brook finally noticed what the younger swordsman was doing.

"Zoro-san!" he gasped. "You shouldn't be fighting her, get away!"

Zoro grunted as he checked his chest for further injuries. "Sorry Brook. It couldn't be helped."

Yari hummed appreciatively as Zoro removed his ruined shirt. "You're not bad for a younger man; I especially like the scar. It looks like it must have been painful."

Zoro smirked. "It was, and I like the scar too. It's a good reminder that I shouldn't underestimate my opponents."

"Well, I will admit reminders are good. You have yet to underestimate me so far, what with your only goal being getting me off the ship, not beating me," Yari agreed. She met his smirk with a soft smile, almost kindly. "Yes, reminders are good. Scars remember. Pain remembers."

She stuck her blade into the deck (pretending not to hear Usopp's cries of protest) and before anyone could stop her or notice what she was doing, she was standing directly in front of Zoro, her bare hand on his bare chest, right over his scar.

"What the hell?!" Zoro shouted.

"Get away from him!" Vivi cried out, riding on Carue towards the swordswoman.

"Vivi-san, wait!" Brook cautioned, but was stopped by another hunter with a sword before he could halt her movements.

Usopp looked down worriedly from the crow's nest. "What is she doing?"

"Tell me, Roronoa Zoro," Yari whispered. "What does your pain remember?"

"What do you-"

"_Requiem de douleur._"

Zoro's chest scar glowed with a dark pink light, and that was when the pain hit. A pain that was all too memorable.

The first time he'd felt this pain, he'd already had many other injuries so it hadn't felt all that different. The first time he felt this pain, he had managed to brace himself for it since he knew it was coming. The first time he felt this pain, he didn't even really feel it all that much because he was running on so much adrenaline that you could have removed his brain and he wouldn't have felt it.

This time however, he had none of those luxuries.

"_ARGHHHHHHH!_"

"_ZORO_!"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: On a different ship, not too far from the Going Merry<strong>

"Argh... damn... jellyboned... freak..." the fallen man grunted, trying to get up from the grassy deck.

"Yeah yeah, tell me a new one," his opponent sighed. He kept his foot on the loser's chest, and despite the latter being way bigger and physically stronger, he was unshakable. "I went through all the trouble of knocking you over, the least you can do is stay down. I'm not in the mood for resistance."

The fallen man tried to get up again, only to find a pistol pointed in his face.

"Uh, you know that _super_ won't work on me, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, it'll probably bounce right off your steel-plated face. It will, however, succeed in getting my point across when I tell you what you need to to know."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

The barrel of the gun clicked.

"My name is Baba Runo, and you're going to tell me everything you know about your little friends. That's all you need to know, for now."

_"Dancing Haze" Baba Runo_

_3rd Lieutenant and Interrogative Expert of the Carrion Bounty Hunters_

_Yari's Brother (Twins)_

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time: <strong>

_**Chapter 14- The Lion Sails With the Lamb**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>*<em>** Nerve Paralyzation.

****** See the "Decks of the World" cover story for details.

******* Again, see "Decks of the World."


	16. SBS 4: I Hate College Apps

**SBS 4!**

Yes, this isn't a chapter. But I have college applications to write this month, so it leaves very little time for free writing. Please read these character profiles in the mean time.  
>EDIT: I've added the previous profiles and added them to here. For those of you who do not like it when I do this, this is the last time.<p>

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><p><strong><span>Enoch Vaughan Stats<span>  
><strong>Epithet: Blood King.  
>Age: 27.<br>Birthday: November 8th.  
>Height: 5"11.<br>Hair: Black.  
>Eyes: Red-brown.<br>Blood Type: Varies.  
>Sea of Origin: West Blue.<br>Favorite Season and Island: Winter on a Spring Island.  
>Favorite Food: Cherries.<br>Least Favorite Food: Rare-cooked red meats. Too bloody (irony abounds).  
>Abilities: Sniper, swordplay, Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki, user of the Chi Chi no Mi (Blood Blood Fruit).<br>**Fun Facts****  
><strong>*I actually originally created Vaughan for a different story idea a couple years ago. _That_ Vaughan was older and way more evil than the one you came to know last chapter. The current Vaughan is a jerk bounty hunter, but he's not evil. He's just doing his job.  
>*In case you can't tell, I based some aspects of the Blood Blood Fruit loosely off Crona's abilities from Soul Eater and blood-bending from Avatar the Last Airbender. Obviously, Vaughan isn't limited to just his own blood and he can do way more with blood than Crona can, and he is more versatile than any mere blood-bender. You'll see.<br>*I know Oda usually has some deeper meaning or allusions with the names of his characters, but for me and Vaughan... not really. I just put together two names I thought sounded cool. Enoch is a man in the Bible, and he was Noah's ancestor (a fact I didn't know till _after_ I created Vaughan. And I'm a Christian, so I'm a little ashamed of myself). But that doesn't really have anything to do with Vaughan. Vaughan's first name I picked out (back when he was older and eviler) because it sounded, well... evil. And vampire-y. Also, I thought it was pronounced _Vaw-Han_, so there was a factor of me liking how it sounded.  
>*Vaughan has had that medallion since he was little. It's a family heirloom and he considers it to be a good luck charm.<br>*Vaughan used get really upset as a kid when others called him a vampire. He stopped caring in his teens. (Not to say he appreciated Runo saying "bleh, bleh" every time he walked into a room. Tossing the male member of the Creepy Duo overboard straightened out his attitude.)  
>*If Vaughan were to have a voice actor, it would be Newton Pittman. He's the guy who plays Gray Fullbuster in the Funimation dub of Fairy Tail.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Erity Stats<span>  
><strong>Epithet: Gauntlet.  
>Age: 29 (or so she claims...)<br>Birthday: January 7.  
>Height: 6"1.<br>Hair: Blonde.  
>Eyes: Teal.<br>Blood Type: X.  
>Sea of Origin: South Blue.<br>Favorite Season and Island: Spring on an Autumn Island.  
>Favorite Food: Pork Soup with Spices.<br>Least Favorite Food: Anything with octopus in it.  
>Abilities: Rokushiki, another form of martial arts that has yet to be identified.<br>**Fun Facts****  
><strong>*I believe I thought up 30 different versions of Erity before I came up with the one that appears in this story. I actually originally created her just to make a fourth bounty hunter (more people to fight), but she turned out more important than I originally intended. Who knew?  
>*Erity is a Japanese name meaning "One Who's Special." Once again, I only learned this after I created the character.<br>*Erity doesn't really need the gauntlets she wears. She just uses them to enhance her Shigan and to scare people.  
>*Erity is the one who made Runo and Vaughan's lunches. She actually doubles as the Carrion Bounty Hunters' cook.<br>*Erity only got the mohawk around the time she joined up with Carrion, roughly 6 months after Vaughan got on board. Before that she had long hair in a braid, but cut it under the suggestion of a friend.  
>*If Erity were to have a voice actor, it would be Christine Auten. She plays Izumi Curtis on Fullmetal Alchemist.<p>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Baba Yari Stats<strong>  
>Epithet: Last Nerve.<br>Age: 25.  
>Birthday: May 11th.<br>Height: 5"5.  
>Hair: Light violet.<br>Eyes: Bright green.  
>Blood Type: F.<br>Sea of Origin: Grand Line- Paradise.  
>Favorite Season and Island: Autumn on a Summer Island.<br>Favorite Food: Sour foods.  
>Least Favorite Food: Sweet foods.<br>Abilities: Swordsmanship, Kenbunshoku Haki, inhuman strength, user of the Shinkei Shinkei no Mi (Nerve Nerve Fruit),  
><strong><span>Fun Facts<br>*** The name game is fun to play with the One Piece world, but Yari's... I thought I had made it up, but it turns out its a real name and kind of fits her! It's a girl's name that means 'calm,' which she is, at least compared to that brother of hers. Her surname though is a reference to Ali Baba from _Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves_. Alabasta carries a lot of traits from Egypt and the Middle East, so I thought the name fit.  
>* Yari's powers are not just limited to the sensation of pain. She can also affect the nerves that cause pruritis (commonly known as itching- I'm taking Anatomy this year!) and the nerves that register pleasure sensations. She prefers not to touch the pleasure ones with a 39 and half-foot pole though. Last time she did it, things got... awkward.<br>* Yari is actually an old OC from the original story idea I had for the eviler-and-older version of Vaughan. That version of Yari was much younger; roughly 13 or 14. She had long black hime-style hair and was still Lolita, but wasn't a swordsman. She also didn't have the Nerve Nerve Fruit, instead of having a devil fruit called the Ningyō Ningyō no Mi... or in English, the Doll Doll Fruit. It was similar to Sugar's powers, but it only did dolls and nobody forgot the the victims. She could also turn herself into a doll and invoke a pocket space called Doll House. Obviously, that power didn't make it into TRD, but her love of dolls did. Now she just makes them by paralyzing her victims so that they can't move and she can play with them.  
>* Yari, like her brother, grows bored with her dolls after awhile. Once that happens, she un-paralyzes their nerves and lets them go, thanking them for the fun times. This usually happens every three or four days, and Carrion pays for the former dolls' therapy sessions provided they aren't pirates.<br>* Yari actually misses Alabasta more than she lets on.  
>* Yari's sword has a name. It's Shinkei Kattā (Nerve Cutter).<br>* Yari's English voice actor would be Lindsay Seidel. I like the condescending voice she used for Angel in Funimation's dub of Fairy Tail, so I thought it would be perfect for Yari.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Baba Runo Stats<span>**  
><span>Epithet: Dancing Haze (HATES this epithet with the burning passion of a thousand white-hot suns).  
>Age: 25.<br>Birthday: May 11.  
>Height: 5"7.<br>Hair: Light Violet.  
>Eyes: Green.<br>Blood Type: F.  
>Sea of Origin: Grand Line- Paradise.<br>Favorite Season and Island: Winter on an Autumn Island.  
>Favorite Food: Freeka (soup made from whole wheat and chicken broth).<br>Least Favorite Food: None. He's not picky.  
>Abilities: Hand-to-Hand Combat, triple jointed, inhuman strength, Kenbunshoku Haki, user of the Saimin Saimin no Mi (Hypno Hypno Fruit).<br>**Fun Facts**  
><span>* I know Runo is a real name, but I couldn't find any meanings that agreed with each other. Some sites said it was Kenyan, others said it was Nordic. In any case, I finally gave up and gave him the name because I liked the way 'Baba Runo' sounded.  
>* Runo's powers run on basis of sight and sound. You need to be able to both see and hear him for him to fully hypnotize you. If you can only hear him, all he can do is put you into a light trance. The trance is stronger if all you can do is see him; he just wouldn't be able to give you a command. Also, Runo needs access to both the eyes to hypnotize someone. Blind people, one-eyed people, or people who wear glassessunglasses are immune to the sight aspect of his hypnotism. And as previously stated, a trance cannot be broken unless he either says so, somebody figuring out the release phrase (if there is one), or if the victim is clocked directly on the right temple. But what are the odds of that happening?  
>* Unlike his sister ('supposedly', for her anyway), Runo misses Alabasta dearly. He still wears Alabastan-style clothes everyday because of this.<br>* Runo is described to look feral because his clothes are always a little torn up, his hair is messy, and he always has a wild look in his eye.  
>* Runo came out of his mother's womb a full ten minutes before Yari did, so he considers himself to be her 'older brother'. Yari thinks this is stupid and that because they are twins, no twin is older than the other.<br>* Runo likes to use contortion to freak people out. He's something of a psycho, in case you haven't noticed.  
>* Runo, for all his psychotic and creepy tendencies, doesn't like hypnotizing people to kill themselves or others. He <em>can<em> do it, as seen with Tattoos, but prefers not to. He claims it "takes the fun out of everything." He has no issues killing people personally, however. He _is_ a bounty hunter after all.  
>* If Runo had an English voice actor, it would be Josh Grelle. Josh Grelle previously played Wanze in Funimation's dub of One Piece, but I don't want Runo to sound <em>that<em> annoying. No, his voice would sound more like Kuronosuke (when not cross-dressing) from Princess Jellyfish.


	17. The Lion Sails With the Lamb

**I'm back! I know I said I hadn't much time to write lately, but after some thinking, I decided to make some time as an apology for only giving you those profiles the other day. Don't expect this too often though. **

_**IMPORTANT STORY NOTE!**_

**But first, I'd like to address anonymous reviews I have received and since removed. They were very hurtful, saying this story was "Sh*t" and no one cared about my "f****ing OCs" and how my story "made no f***ing sense anymore." I'm sorry if some of you have a beef with how I organize my writing or how I try to give you all something to read since I can't update as normally anymore, but hear this: PURPOSEFULLY HATEFUL REVIEWS AND FLAMES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. This website is supposed to fun for writers and readers, and people like that make it less fun not just for the writer, but for everyone. So I've decided to go back and place all profiles into one chapter: the most recent one, in case if in some way that makes everyone happier.**

**Anyways, I had to look up actual fencing techniques for this chapter so I could make Yari's fighting style more realistic. It was so difficult to find an accurate list! I also re-watched Zoro's fight with Daz Bones for some of his techniques. Hopefully, you'll like the effort I put into this fight! :D**

**WARNINGS: Some disturbing imagery, possibly.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the One Piece franchise or its characters. I only own my OCs (which people _do_ care about, thank you very much).**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 14: The Lion Sails With the Lamb<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Who cares about the specifics at this point? It's night, and that's all you need to know.<br>Location: A 'good ways west' of Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp**

"Hmm," she noted aloud. "Day didn't last very long this time around. The full moon is nice, though."

There was no time to sweat the small stuff, however. She needed to find these ruins; by her calculations, it wouldn't be long before Luffy and her crew showed up, thus cutting her investigation time short. Who knew how much history Kāla could hold in its lone ruins... that is, if these were _truly_ the only ruins on the island.

She frowned; she wasn't oblivious. When the little girl gave her information about the ruins, she could tell the child was holding something back. She was willing to bet there were more ruins, and for some reason Siobhan (that was what she'd heard guards call her) felt the need to protect them.

Was one young girl really the sole guardian of the entirety of Kāla? The fact she had such skill with Kenbunshoku Haki at her age was surprising, but one could not protect a whole island with just that. Perhaps she had a devil fruit of some sort? No, if that were the case, her cage would have been made of sea prism stone; the cage back in the tent was regular old steel. And what was she doing on the island all alone? Was she the sole survivor of the island's inhabitants? If that were the case, she could sympathize with her cynicism.

For some reason, she thought Luffy would like her. Siobhan had shown interest in piracy, and that alone was enough to at least strike up a conversation with the rubberman. Maybe when she found him and the others, she would introduce the two.

... They were fine, all of them. She wasn't worried, no matter what Siobhan said. Those hunter lieutenants she'd heard about from those she had 'interrogated' were nothing compared to her nakama. She wasn't worried.

"_Sure you aren't._"

... Okay, now she understood why the guards kept grumbling about how annoying Siobhan was. The girl really got into your head.

In her pondering, she had neglected to notice that she was no longer walking on grass and the ends of tree roots, but cobblestones.

She gazed around her surroundings. "Oh... oh my."

She had found the ruins... and though small, they were _gorgeous_. She was by no means an emotional woman, but even she couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her lips.

Time to get to work.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Deck of the Going Merry<strong>

"_ARGGHHH!_" Zoro cried out in agony, Wado falling from his mouth. His chest scar glowed with an eerie dark pink light, casting dark shadows all over his face and body.

"_ZORO!_"

Zoro couldn't be certain as to who called out his name, not that he cared much at the moment.

It wasn't just the pain from Mihawk's original attack he was feeling. The headbutt directly to his wound that stupid octopus gave him, the stab of Arlong's freakish nose, the pinch of a needle as Cocoyashi's doctor gave him stitches, the dull aches he'd felt for a week afterwards... it was as if he was experiencing every bit of pain he'd ever associated with his scar _all at once_.

... How the hell was this... this_ witch_ able to bring it all back?!

He immediately grit his teeth and bit that scream, stepping backwards away from the huntress. He wouldn't give the damn woman the continued satisfaction. As he stumbled back, Vivi and Carue came up behind him and kept him from falling over.

"Mr. Bushido!" she cried out, dismounting Carue and steadying the older man by his shoulders. "Are you okay?! Did she reopen your chest wound?! Is there-"

"Vivi!" he barked out. "Stop panicking. I'm fine."

That wasn't a lie. The pain had already muted into a dull throb, and was beginning to vanish as the pink light faded. Brook fought his way over to the pair (and duck), and Usopp actually rappelled down the mast while shooting Lead Stars at any hunter that got in his way. When both concerned pirates made it over to their comrades, Yari held up a hand, gesturing her men to stop fighting for a moment, and they did.

"Since I'm nice, I'll give Pirate Hunter a moment to catch his breath," she said coolly. "Don't worry, I didn't re-open the wound. It just felt like I did."

The pirates all gave her dirty looks. Usopp also quickly reached down and picked up Wado Ichimonji for Zoro.

"Pain is one of things we remember most," Yari said with a sadistic grin, going back over to her sword and removing it from the deck. "We remember it so we give ourselves a reason not to want to experience again. But I can _make_ you experience it again. Over and over if I so desire. I can also make you more sensitive to pain, or take it away completely." She twirled around in a circle. "And I'm not limited to pain. Any kind of sensation is mine to control."

She held up he free hand, clenching it. This action made spots of that dark pink light appear across her skin, connected by veins of the same light. It took the more intelligent pirates (Vivi and Usopp) a few seconds to realize those spots were her _nerve endings_.

"And it's all thanks to the Nerve Nerve Fruit I ate once I left Alabasta." The light faded, and she smirked at Vivi. "In many ways, I should thank Cobra for banishing me and Runo. We would have never gained our powers if he hadn't."

Vivi scowled and whispered to her friends, "She reminds me of some people I knew back in Baroque Works; a competent braggart I doubt anyone will mind if I punch."

Vivi usually tried to avoid extreme violence. For Yari however, she'd be more than happy to make an exception.

"Doubt you could land that punch," Zoro muttered back, standing up straight and taking his sword from Usopp. "She's just like my older self; she can predict how you're going attack before you even do so."

"It's a technique called Kenbunshoku Haki, or just Observation Haki," Brook explained, getting everyone's attention. "Sanji-san tried explaining it to us once. It's an ability that allows the user hear someone's 'inner voice.' This gives them the ability to sense another's location, sense how strong they are, or predict their attacks. Many people in the New World use it, including multiple members our crew. You know Roronoa-san can do it, and it's not even his specialty!"

"Seriously?!" Usopp gasped quietly- but not really. "How are we supposed to fight someone if they know how we're going to attack?!"

"Sanji-san said there were two ways; either attack fast enough that she can't avoid it even if she knows its coming, or..."

"... _Or._..?!" Usopp prompted.

Brook shrugged. "... I don't remember the other one."

"THEN HOW DOES THAT HELP?!"

"SHH!" Vivi shushed him. Carue mimicked the motion by putting his wing up to his bill.

"Okay then, we'll do this," Zoro spoke up in an authoritative tone. He was doing something he rarely did; pull rank. It wasn't official or anything, but Zoro knew he was seen as the de-facto first mate on the crew. "Vivi- you, Usopp, and I will attack her all at once, and then when she's preoccupied, Brook can do his thing and take her down. Our main objective is to get her and her men off the ship and then to get out of here, alright?"

A small part of Zoro felt like he was running from a real fight. He welcomed the challenge Yari provided, but for once, he had to prioritize. Luffy expected them to locate the shipwright and the future ship; he wasn't going to disobey another order from Luffy all for the sake of duel with someone he wasn't ready to fight.

When the order was fulfilled, however, was another story entirely.

"Attack all at once?!" Usopp shout/whispered. "She'll skewer us!"

Usopp was ignored.

"What about her men?" Vivi asked.

"Ignore them for now. Only attack them if they get in your way, and let Brook handle them until he gets his opening."

"That's not a bad strategy, Zoro-san," Brook praised. "I'm quite surprised."

Brook probably hadn't meant as an insult, so the younger swordsman let it slide.

"The Great Captain Usopp could easily take her on," Usopp said, pretending not to be scared out of his mind seeing as everyone was ignoring his whining. "But I'm more than happy to let Brook have the limelight this time."

Everyone ignored him this time as well.

"Breath all caught?" Yari asked politely. "Good. Now we can continue."

She turned her attention to the waiting members of Theta Unit that were still conscious. "Men! You can take Pirate Hunter and his friends, but leave the skeleton to me! He is only one worth fighting around here at the moment."

"Yes, Ms. Yari ma'am!" the hunters agreed. Then they gave her cautionary looks. "Ma'am, they're charging you!"

She turned back to the Straw Hats and sure enough, they were all ridiculously close to her. Zoro had all three swords in their proper places and poised directly at her head, Vivi was riding on Carue's back again with with her Peacock Slashers spinning, and Usopp's goggles were lowered as he aimed three Exploding Stars at her.

"I see them!" she called back, holding up her sword.

Zoro made the first move, swing his swords towards Yari's head. The huntress dropped to deck below his katana, placing her free hand on the ground for balance, then thrusting her blade upward **[1]**. Zoro narrowly dodged the stab by leaning backwards, only to have his legs knocked from under him by Yari. He didn't fall over, instead turning the fall into a handspring by flipping himself off of his right hand, then landing in a crouch. As he did this, Yari did a backward handstand that ended up slamming the bottoms of her feet directly into Usopp's jaw, making the sniper misfire his Exploding Stars directly into the Merry's mast (which, thanks to the metal plates, suffered minimum damage).

When Usopp reeled back from the strike, Yari returned to a standing position just as Vivi got close enough slash the huntress. Yari let one of the slashers wrap around her sword, to which she then proceeded to yank the blade back. The resulting force pulled Vivi off of Carue's back and sent her crashing into the Merry's railing (it was a miracle the yank didn't break her pinky finger). For good measure, Yari crescent-kicked Carue in the side of the head, sending the giant duck down into the deck with a thump.

As this was happening, Brook had taken out another five men that were attempting attack his crew and prevent them from ganging up on Yari. He turned for brief second to check their progress.

_This doesn't look good_, he thought as another hunter fell, covered in ice. _They still haven't created an opening for me yet. I hope Zoro-san knows what he's doing. My heart can't take this kind of worry... not that I have heart anyway_.

Luckily for Brook's non-existent heart, the Straw Hats weren't down for long. Vivi jumped to her feet, ran forward, and swung out a string of jeweled ornaments from her waist.

"_Peacock Slasher String!_"

Yari quickly drew her sword far back, then flunged **[2] **in a manner that the very tip of her blade clashed the end of the string, causing the latter to coil up and rebound off. Despite this, Vivi took advantage of her closeness to aim a high kick toward's Yari's face, which the older woman blocked with her forearm. Yari then used said forearm to knock the princess's leg away. Vivi was pushed back toward Carue, but Usopp soon took her place (with a bleeding mouth) with a medium-sized mallet held high.

"_Usopp Hammer!_"

Yari leaned far enough backwards in time to avoid Usopp's swing, after which she cut the blasted thing in half and planted her foot into Usopp's gut.

_WHY are they all aiming for my face?!_ Yari thought in aggravation.

Just as she recovered from Usopp's attack, Zoro- who had already gotten back on his feet- charged towards Yari, the swords in his hands held horizontally at opposite corresponding shoulders. Several members of Theta Unit tried to get in his way, but Brook intervened.

"_Polka Remise!_" the skeleton shouted, jabbing his Soul Solid rapidly without pulling it back. The Theta members received multiple stab wounds for their trouble.

Yari grit her teeth and took a solid stance, ready to take whatever Zoro threw at her. She knew what he was going to do, and knew she had no time for avoiding it completely.

Zoro finally reached her.

"_Bull Needles!_" he cried out.

Yari was met with an onslaught of rapid slashes, and she agilely met them with her own blade. She deflected them so fast that her sword looked like a blur of metal. As soon as it started, Zoro's attack ceased and he was now standing behind her, swords held out at either side of him.

Yari turned to stab at him, only to turn right back around so she could parry Brook's sword.

"Honestly, it is unsportsmanlike to gang up on a lady all at once!" Yari growled, pushing against Brook's sword. For a man with no muscles, he was pretty strong. "It has been a good effort, but clearly it has been all for naught! You have been focusing on me when it would been more strategic to take out my men first! You are all beat up but I do not have a scratch!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, my lady," Brook disagreed, pushing hard enough that Yari was forced to stumble back a few steps. He pointed at her face. "You seem to be an expert on pain; doesn't your face hurt?"

Yari raised an eyebrow, then her eyes widened. Some of the hair of her bangs gave way, and long cut appeared underneath her right eye, squirting out blood. Her hat also fell to pieces.

Yari bit back a cry and her free hand flew up to her face. How did... how did this...

"It's just like Brook said," Zoro spoke up.

Yari turned to look at him. Zoro had a smug grin around the hilt of Wado, and Usopp, Vivi, and Carue stood with him in front of the mast.

"It doesn't matter if you can predict an attack if you can't avoid it," the green-haired man continued. "Guess this Haki thing does have its limits, huh?"

Yari wasn't really listening to him at this point. All she could do was focus on the pain her cheek was in.

_He cut me,_ she thought.

"Uh, g-guys?" Usopp stammered. "She d-doesn't look happy."

_He cut me, _Yari continued to think._ He cut me. He _cut_ me..._

Something inside her snapped.

_HE FREAKING CUT ME_!

As she appeared to not be paying attention, Brook ran towards her, planning fully to cut Yari before she even noticed. However, before he could even get close, something happened that did not usually happen.

She noticed.

Yari turned on her heel so fast it made anyone who saw dizzy, then drew her sword down in a curved arc.

"_Voler Coupe de_ _Nerf._**[3]**"

From the motion came a sharp vacuum that practically glowed (again, dark pink). The slash hit the bone swordsman, neatly decapitating him and avoiding his afro. His skull clattered against the wooden deck, though his body remained standing. It fell over a few seconds later though.

"BROOK!" Usopp cried out in horror.

"NO!" Vivi added.

"QUAW!" Carue agreed.

Zoro said nothing, but he did start to give off an aura of murderous intent.

"You know," Yari said in a dangerously soft voice, not giving the skeleton she just beheaded another thought. "This is the first time someone has managed to cut me in nearly three years."

At her tone, the remaining members of Theta Unit suddenly looked very, very scared.

Yari turned to face the remaining pirates, though her gaze was downcast. Her free hand tapped the cut on her face, causing the veins of pink light to form briefly before disappearing. Then using her sword, she cut away the skirt of her dress (revealing a pair of purple short-shorts), then did the same to her short puffy sleeves.

"I always thought the person to finally make me bleed would be a worthy opponent," she went on, finally looking up. Her visible eye was empty and cold, sending shivers down the more cowardly Straw Hats' spines.

_Something's wrong,_ Zoro thought. _She seems different from before_. _And why did she cut off parts of her dress? What's the point?_

Yari scowled, gaining an aura that same dark pink light. "I did not expect, however, that the man who finally cut me would be some PATHETIC ROOKIE!"

With that angry shout, Yari messily slid her sword into her sash and ran forward. In a matter seconds she was close enough that she planted her right palm on Zoro's face- completely avoiding the sword in his mouth- and had clamped her left hand around both Vivi and Usopp's wrists.

"AHH, SHE'S GOT US!" Usopp panicked.

"Did she get faster?!" Vivi wondered aloud.

It dawned upon the trio that this was why she had cut off parts of her dress: she could move faster and with more agility without all that extra fabric in the way.

"_Lien Sensoriel,_" she said with a snarl. "_Décuplé!_**[4]**"

It was like the three of them had been hit with a defibrillator. A shock of energy ran through their bodies and sent Zoro slamming against the mast, while sending Vivi and Usopp tumbling into the storage room door. As soon as their backs bounced off of their respective hard surfaces, pain roared through their bodies. It felt much worse then it should have. Vivi and Usopp screamed, but Zoro bit down hard on his sword hilt to prevent any cries from escaping his mouth.

"Vivi! Usopp!" Zoro called out, though with some difficulty. For some reason, his jaw really hurt."You guys okay?!"

"I'm fine, relatively speaking!" Vivi replied breathlessly.

"Call Chopper..." Usopp said, slightly delirious.

Carue went over to Zoro and nudged him into a standing position with his bill. He nodded once Zoro was up, then trotted over to Vivi and Usopp to presumably do the same.

_What did she do to us?_ Zoro thought. His back still throbbed from hitting the mast. _Slamming into the mast should not have hurt that much, not to me anyway. And why does my jaw hurt all of a sudden? That witch didn't get anywhere near it!_

Vivi had limped her over to Zoro; Carue was still working on Usopp.

"Mr. Bushido..." she said. "Is Mr. Brook...?"

Zoro's eyes softened slightly. "Don't think about that right now. Focus on the matter at hand."

Vivi's eyes teared up a bit, but she nodded. Then she winced, holding her jaw.

"Something wrong?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah, my jaw," Vivi replied. "It really hurts."

Alright, that was weird. He never saw Vivi get hit there at any point during the fight, so why did her jaw hurt like his did?

"Mr. Bushido!"

At Vivi's shout, Zoro whipped around, barely able to have Yubashiri meet Yari's blade. The woman grinned, then planted her hand on Zoro's face, forcing his head back and giving her leverage to flip over both him and Vivi.

"_Nerf Coupé: _Fleuve__ _Douloureuse!_"**[5]**_**  
><strong>_

Yari landed on the deck behind them, and as soon as she did, a deep cut appeared on Zoro's right shoulder. Pain flared almost immediately, pain so bad that Zoro was forced to clamp down on Wado as hard as he could to keep himself from screaming. This proved to be a mistake, because biting down on his katana that hard hurt almost badly as the new wound on his shoulder.

"AIEEEE!" Vivi screamed all of a sudden, clutching her shoulder with one hand and slapping the other against her mouth. She fell to the ground and curled up her body into an agonized ball.

Meanwhile, Carue had just gotten Usopp to stand back up when he began screaming.

"ARGHHH, WHAT THE HELL?!" Usopp screeched, hand squeezing his right shoulder tightly. He fell over again as his other hand flew to his mouth. "IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE'S BREAKING MY TEETH AND STABBING MY SHOULDER!"

Somewhere in Zoro's pain-ridden mind, he was able to put two and two together. The swordsman immediately stopped biting his sword so hard and willed himself to ignore the pain in his shoulder. Almost instantaneously, Vivi and Usopp gasped as the pain they were feeling dulled into soreness.

"Whoa, do you think Pirate Hunter figured it out?" one Theta member murmured.

"I doubt it," his comrade replied. "I heard Pirate Hunter is an idiot only marginally smarter than his captain."

"Perhaps, but that is not the case here," Yari disagreed. She strolled past Vivi where was and walked right in front of Zoro. With a smirk, she flicked the swordsman on the forehead.

Going off how much that flick hurt, she might as well have punched him. It didn't hurt enough that it made Zoro want to yell, but it succeeded in making him fall against the mast again. Vivi and Usopp did cry out, however, their hands flying up to their foreheads. Carue quacked frantically, unsure of what to do. Some of Yari's men tackled the duck and held him down, so he wouldn't keep getting in the way.

Yari knelt down and cupped her hand around Zoro's chin. "_Lien Sensoriel. _Sensory Link. Through the power of my Nerve Nerve abilities, I connected all you in your ability to feel sensation. But you already figured that, did you not?"

Zoro seethed. She was right. (That would explain why all their jaws hurt before. Hadn't Yari kicked Usopp there earlier?) He tried to slash her with Wado Ichimonji, but she calmly caught the blade between her fingers. She then stood up and planted her foot on Zoro's chest with an additional kick. Usopp and Vivi made wind-knocked-out-of-you noises in response. Zoro tried to push her off, but Yari wasn't budging. That on top of the fact he was pushing against Wado with all his might and she wasn't even moving, probably meant she was much stronger than she looked.

"Oh, do not be mad," Yari said politely. "Look on the bright side; you have never been closer as a crew! How many pirates can say they have shared each other's pain?" She kicked Zoro's chest again, trying to get him to drop Wado. It wasn't working. She frowned. "By the way, I feel it is only fair to mention that I also increased your pain receptors' sensitivity tenfold. That is why everything hurts more than it should. Now, drop the sword or I will keep kicking you. You may _think_ you can take it, but can you say the same about your friends?"

Zoro glanced at Vivi and Usopp, who were now clutching their respective chests. Wado fell from his teeth, and Yubashiri and Kitetsu dropped from his hands.

"Good pirate," Yari said, patting his head and kicking the swords away. She looked down at him disapprovingly. "You know, I think I made you cry out at least once tonight and came close two more times. Your older self was much more impressive. I increased his pain sensitivity by _50_ and he barely even blinked!"

Yari's smile became even more condescending, if that were even possible. She put the tip of the flat of her blade under Zoro's chin and forced him to look up. "You know, I heard that Straw Hat has the survival instincts of a lemming, and is constantly putting himself and his crew in danger. So one has to wonder; what does he put _you_ through in the next few years that causes you build a pain tolerance so high that you barely even feel it anymore? I do not know, but I bet it was excruciating. Maybe it involves why you are a cyclops in the future."

Zoro's eyes widened.

_"Don't make assumptions about events you know nothing about, brat."_

_-the gaze of a man who had been cracked in several places and welded back together. A man who had not quite been broken, but came pretty close-_

Before either the swordsman or the swordswoman could make any further response, something sailed through the air and bounced off of Yari's forehead. The huntress growled out a few choice words under her breath while rubbing the spot it had struck, and then picked up the offending object.

It was a small bottle of perfume.

Zoro and Yari both turned to look at Vivi.

The princess was sitting upright, holding her side. Her whole body was shaking, but she never looked stronger in Zoro's opinion.

"You shut up,_ right now!_" Vivi screamed. "Stop talking like you know Luffy! I don't want to hear another poisonous word out of your smug little mouth!"

If Zoro's eyes hadn't been wide before, now they were the size of dinner plates. He'd never heard Vivi this angry before. He didn't know she was even capable of this kind of rage. Yari looked slightly surprised as well.

"A perfume bottle? _Really_?" Zoro groaned. It had be to said.

"Shut up!" Vivi snapped. "It was the only thing I had!"

"You at least could have thrown it somewhere more damaging!"

"I wasn't really aiming! How am I supposed to know where it was going to land?"

Vivi turned her fury back on Yari. "And you! I've only known Luffy for a few weeks, and I already know he's not the kind of man who would be so careless with his crew! He's the kind of man who would run through a blizzard to get his friend to a doctor! He's the kind of man who would try to stop an honorable fight between two giants because it was tampered with! He's..." Tears began to fall from her eyes. "He's the kind of man who would help a girl he just met return home to her country, and stop the warlord that's trying to dominate it. He trusted me to help to find Mr. Roronoa's ship and crew, and I've already let one of them get killed."

Her tears came more rapidly now, but they weren't sad. They were furious. "So if you think I'm just going to sit here and let you say such horrible things about such an amazing person _and_ kill more of my friends, then you've got another thing coming, you pompous masochistic _bitch_!"

No one said anything. They just let Vivi's words echo across the ship as they sunk in.

"Oh snap," a Theta member whispered.

Zoro and Yari stared in abject shock at the princess. The former hadn't known she was even capable of swearing.

"Vivi... Vivi's right!" Usopp's voice spoke up. The sniper had somehow found the strength to stand again, and was now aiming an unknown ammo at the violet-haired bounty hunter. "We've been doing pretty pathetic tonight, letting you have your way. But all that's going to change."

The long-nosed boy smiled. "I know your weakness."

He closed his eyes and changed the trajectory of his slingshot. It was now aiming directly up.

"Special Attack: _Usopp Caltrop Rain!_"**[6]****  
><strong>

Usopp released his ammo straight up into the air, revealing it to be a small bag filled with caltrops. As the name suggested, caltrops now rained down with extreme speed, like gun fire, due to their velocity being enhanced by a tiny explosion of gunpowder within the bag.

Yari swore under breath again as she maneuvered around the spiky objects. She was fast enough to evade a good chunk of them or knock them aside with her sword, but the rest ended up cutting into her and many of her lackeys.

As the caltrops fell, Usopp slowly walked over to Vivi and Zoro, the latter two managing to stand up. Zoro pulled himself up by hanging on to Merry's mast, and Vivi did so by forcing her legs to cooperate.

"Just as I thought," Usopp whispered triumphantly.

"She couldn't avoid them?" Vivi asked, confused.

"I thought this Haki thing let her predict attacks," Zoro added, painstakingly leaning down to grab his swords.

"Yes, but I think there's a down side," Usopp explained, wincing when Zoro leaned over. "I got the idea when Vivi threw that bottle. Why didn't Yari avoid it if she can predict how we're going to attack?"

Vivi and Zoro would have shrugged if their shoulders didn't hurt so much.

"Vivi said she didn't know where the bottle was going to land; the attack was random. It only makes sense."

Usopp held up one arm dramatically, then brought it down to point at Yari. "You couldn't avoid my caltrops because I didn't know where they would land just now! Your Haki can't predict random attacks with no intended target!"

The caltrops had stopped falling by this point. It hadn't downed any members of Theta Unit, but many more of them were bleeding now. Yari was yanking caltrops out of her arms, pinks veins of light briefly appearing on every wound she touched.

"Well aren't you a smart one, Sniper King," Yari said sarcastically. "Do not think you can beat me just because you know how to bypass my Haki."

"Maybe not," Zoro conceded. "But if we run into any more like you, we now know how to beat this stupid ability."

"There are not any more like me, Pirate Hunter," Yari disagreed. "True, some of the others do wield Kenbunshoku Haki, but think back on how badly I have been beating you here. Now, what if I told you I was only the _fifth_ strongest member of the Carrion Bounty Hunters?"

Okay, they had not been expecting that. It must have shown on their faces because Yari snickered evilly.

"Exactly, little pirates. Those who travel the New World have to go beyond the limits of normal people. I represent only a fraction of that power." She glared at Usopp. "I will deal with you in a moment, Sniper King. I still have not punished you for what happened in the jungle; I do not care if it was your elder counterpart that committed the deed."

"T-that's where y-you're wrong, vile huntress!" Usopp argued. "There is no 'older me' on the island; it was me the whole time!"

Yari raised an eyebrow. Her men copied the motion.

Zoro felt like slapping his forehead, and he would have if he hadn't known it would hurt more.

Vivi gave Usopp a reprimanding look. Now was _not_ the time for a wild lie!

"I just haven't been using my venus flytraps because I don't want to damage the Going Merry further!" the liar went on. "And as for my skinny constitution, I also have devil fruit powers! Mine allow me to gain muscle mass whenever I desire! I have more than enough power to take you on!"

Yari gave him a deadpan expression. "Liar."

Usopp's bravado faded away. "Crap, she knows!"

"NOT IF YOU TELL HER!" Vivi and Zoro scolded him, slapping the air.

"Alright fine, I lied about having powers and flytraps, but don't think that makes me afraid of you!" Usopp corrected himself, speaking to Yari again. "Do your worst! I'm not scared of you!"

Yari glanced down. "Your knees are shaking."

"S-SHUT UP!"

"No, I do not think I will," Yari said silkily. "As I was saying before, I will deal with you in a moment. But first, someone here was very rude to me just now. I think some punishment is in order."

Yari jumped right between the three pirates. Zoro tried to attack her again, unsheathing two of his swords, but she artfully spin-kicked him in the side of the head. With the added pain factor, it felt to the trio like someone had just dropped one of Zoro's barbells on their skulls. Zoro went down (though to his credit he hadn't dropped his swords), Usopp cried out and held his head as he fell to the deck, and fresh tears of pain came to Vivi's eyes. But before she could fall over, Yari went up behind her and grabbed one of the princess's arms while laying the flat of her blade against her throat.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Exactly one kilometer from the Going Merry, near the island's western beach<strong>

"What the _heck_?!"

The telescope had to be broken. There was no way he was looking at the Going Merry through his had-to-be-broken telescope. He had seen that amazing, brave little ship burn and sink with everyone else.

But there she was, plain as the metal nose on his face. A dead ship back from the dead...

... and a ship that appeared to be having a battle on her deck.

That _super_ wouldn't do. If it really was the Going Merry (though he had no idea how it could be), there was no telling how a battle would affect her condition. He had to get over there, and fast.

Good thing he remembered to stock up on cola before leaving Dock Island.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Deck of the Going Merry<strong>

"Vivi!" Zoro and Usopp cried out.

"QUAW!" Carue quacked worriedly from where Theta Unit was holding him down.

Vivi tried to struggle against Yari's grip, but that only made Yari angle her sword so that the edge cut into her throat ever so slightly. Vivi screamed as a fresh wave of agony coursed through her body, and watched helplessly as Zoro and Usopp grasped their throats, the latter screaming as well.

With all this pain they were feeling, it was a miracle none of them had passed out. That was most likely Yari's doing, if one really thought about it.

"You know Princess Vivi, you are a very beautiful girl," Yari complimented in a cooing tone, rubbing her thumb over Vivi's wrist. "But you would be prettier if you were not so unbearably rude. That is why I have decided to make you my new doll.

Vivi's mind felt hazy. Maybe the pain was finally catching up? "D-Doll?"

Yari nodded. "I have never had a genuine princess doll before, or a swordsman and long nosed puppet. This should be fun._ Nerve Paralysie_!"

From where Yari gripped her wrist, veins of pink light spread up Vivi's arm. Immediately, Vivi had felt a horrible, horrible numbing sensation crawl up her arm as her muscles stiffened to a point of rigidity. Below on the deck, Usopp and Zoro clasped their arms, once again sharing in their comrade's... pain? The sensation hurt and didn't hurt at the same time, like when your foot falls asleep, only more so. Vivi wasn't sure how to react, except grunting from the increasing unpleasantness and futilely struggling.

"Now, where is all that brass you were showing off earlier?" Yari asked. "Was it just a one time thing?"

If Vivi had been able to turn her head, the look she would have given Yari would have vaporized her.

The glowing veins had reached Vivi's shoulder now, a fact Yari looked proud of. "No matter. Soon you will not be feeling much of anything. I like my dolls to have the stoic look, you know? Much better than some snotty, teary little-"

"Flying ship!" Theta Leader hollered.

"-Flying ship," Yari finished. She paused for a second, her words registering. She turn to look at Theta Leader. "Flying ship? That makes no sense whatsoever!"

"No ma'am, not that!" Theta Leader pointed. "I meant_ that_!"

Everyone aboard the Going Merry looked up. Sure enough, falling from the sky and silhouetted by the bright full moon was none other than a...

"_FLYING SHIP_!" Theta Unit shrieked.

"MORE LIKE_ FALLING_ SHIP!" Zoro argued.

"WHY IS IT RAINING SHIPS?!" Usopp screamed,

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Yari shouted.

Vivi had nothing to add, except staring at the falling ship in wonder.

The ship landed in the open sea next the Merry with almost planned precision. The resulting splash created a humongous wave that washed right over the deck. Several Theta Members were washed right overboard, just happening to be the ones holding down Carue. Those who had already been knocked unconscious from earlier in the fight were washed overboard as well. Zoro and Usopp were sent tumbling into the Merry's stairs, while the wave forcibly made Yari unhand Vivi as the huntress went spiraling into the railing. The glowing veins on Vivi's arm retreated, and the princess landed face-first on the wet deck. Zoro and Usopp's hands went to their faces, naturally.

The splash died down, and everyone who had previously been standing were sprawled on the wet deck. It was an almost comical sight, and a drastic change from the previous tense atmosphere.

Zoro stood up, spitting out water. "What. The hell. Was that?!"

A valid question, but apparently not the most important one to them at the moment.

"Who cares!" Usopp shouted. "Let's check on Vivi!"

Carue beaten them to it. He was helping the princess stand. The boys moved over to her as fast as their aching bodies would allow them.

"Vivi, are you okay?! What did she do to you?!" Usopp said with concern. "Please say you're okay, 'cause Sanji's going to kill me if you're not!"

Vivi looked puzzled. "I think I'm okay. But..."

She tried to lift her left hand to the wound on her throat, only to find that she couldn't.

"My arm," she whispered, her tone panicky. She clutched her shoulder, which felt as numb as her arm. "I can't move my arm!"

Cold realization came upon her as she desperately tried to get her arm to move. That witch had _paralyzed_ her arm! _Paralyzed_ it! How could Vivi help Luffy, avenge Brook, and save her country with a crippled arm?!

She wasn't the only one having issues.

"AHHH!" Usopp squealed. His left arm hung uselessly at his side. "I CAN'T MOVE MY ARM EITHER!"

Zoro stared at his left arm quizzically, as if he had just now noticed it was no longer holding his sword. "Oh, that's right. Our sensations are still connected." He tried to move his arm to no avail. "Yeah, that's not good."

"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!" Usopp shouted. "THIS IS BAD! I CAN'T SHOOT A SLINGSHOT WITH ONE ARM, AND YOU CAN'T USE THREE SWORD STYLE WITH ONLY TWO SWORDS!"

"Usopp, this paralysis was caused by a_ devil fruit_," Zoro reminded him. "Odds are it's temporary."

Usopp didn't looked any less perturbed, but he did quiet down some. Meanwhile, Yari pushed herself off of the Merry's railing, choking up water.

"What in the name of sanity just happened?" she asked a lackey that had been washed up next to her.

"I think a ship fell from the sky, ma'am," he replied.

"I meant _besides_ the obvious, you buffoon!"

"Sorry!"

The Straw Hats overheard Yari's question, and turned to look at the ship in question. It was a brigantine sloop that was twice the size of the Merry, with two masts and painted in bright reds and yellows. The figurehead was some kind of lion/sunflower hybrid, and was smiling sunnily down at the little lamb next to it. The sails had all been rolled up, and the black flags on the top of the masts were slack from the absence of wind.

"Well, what do you know!" a voice called down from the deck of the larger ship. "I guess I wasn't hallucinating after all!"

The voice's owner stepped up to the brigantine's railing, and what everyone saw made their jaws drop from complete and utter dumbfoundment.

It was a muscular man in his late 30s; he was over seven feet tall with a blue buzz-cut and trim sideburns. That was where all normalcy ended. The man had gigantic metal arms; red globes for shoulders ('BF-37' was written on them in block text), light blue forearms with dark blue star designs on them, and light red metal fists. His chin had two sharp clefts in it, his nose was also metallic, and his legs appeared to be reinforced with mechanical parts. They could tell the latter because for some obscene reason, the man had foregone wearing pants, instead opting for a dark red speedo. The only other type of clothing he wore was a pair of dark sunglasses and a tropical-print shirt. The shirt was open, revealing two vertical scars running his chest.

The man smiled widely. "Yup, there's no doubt about it! I'd recognize this ship anywhere! It's none other than the previous ship of the Straw Pirates..."

The man leaned over, rolled his arms together, then stood straight and put his arms together over his head so that the two stars on his forearms were now one symbol.

"... THE _SUPER_ GOING MERRY!"

For some reason a wave broke behind him as he did this, despite the fact the side of the ship he was on was facing the beach.

Zoro, Vivi, and Yari all sweatdropped at the man's exuberant display, but everyone else was taking it in a much different.

"_Amazing_!" Theta Unit exclaimed.

"Is that a real robot?!" one asked.

"That's so awesome!" another added.

"He's so cool!"

"It's as if he's full of a man's adventurous romance!"

Usopp wasn't much better. He and Carue both had stars in their eyes, taking in the sight of the robot speedo man.

"It's a... it's a real live robot! I can't believe it!" Usopp declared. "I knew the Grand Line would continue to show me the impossible, but I never expected something so manly!"

Carue quacked in agreement.

Zoro frowned. "You have got to be kidding me."

Vivi was confused. She didn't get what was so cool about a half-naked robot. Still, she and Zoro took the distraction as a chance to drag Usopp and Carue over to the opposite side of the deck, closer to the strange man and away from Yari and the hunters. Vivi even picked up Zoro's fallen sword with her good hand and returned it to him.

"Shut up, all of you!" Yari barked at her men. "He is not cool or whatever! He is clearly just some kind of pervert!"

The robot man pointed down at Yari. "Aw shucks, you don't have to be so nice to me! We've only just met!"

"THAT WAS _NOT_ A COMPLIMENT, YOU ROBOTIC IGNORAMUS!"

"Hey now sister, I'm no robot!" the robot man corrected. "_YOW_! I'm way more _super_ than any mere machine! I'm a_ cyborg_!"

"Ma'am!" a Theta member called out, jumping to his feet. "If that's true, then that makes him the Straw Hats' shipwright! He's 'Cyborg' Franky!"

Yari looked extremely interested upon hearing that tidbit of info.

"_He's_ Franky?" Vivi whispered to Zoro, seeing as Usopp was still in fanboy mode. "Luffy's future shipwright?"

Zoro stared blankly at Franky for a few moments, studying him closely.

"... Yeah, I can see Luffy recruiting someone like him into the crew," the swordsman said at last. "Guess that means the ship he's on is the Thousand Sunny."

The ship certainly looked sunny enough to have such a name. Vivi could definitely picture Luffy sailing on a ship like that.

"Now, I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're Baba Yari, right?" Franky went on, placing his large fists at his hips.

"How did you guess? I do not recall introducing myself!" Yari hollered up to him.

"You're just as your brother described you; violet hair, pointy sword, and all the personal charm of a rabid bobcat."

"HEY!" Yari protested, then paused. "Wait a minute. You spoke with Runo?"

"You could say that." Franky cracked his knuckles (or the cyborg equivalent of cracking one's knuckles). "He showed up on my ship yapping about toys and bounties, so he and I had a nice, _long_ talk." He then just seemed to notice Zoro and the others. "Oi, Zoro, Usopp! You bros doing okay?! Who's the chick?! And what's Merry doing here?!"

"It's kind of a long story!" Zoro replied. "Listen, Yari paralyzed all our arms! Think you could lend a hand?"

"No problem, brother! I'll be right down!"

True to his word, Franky jumped off of the Sunny and landed right in front of the rest of the Straw Hats. Remarkably, the Merry's deck held under his weight.

Franky scanned over the deck, making a disapproving humming sound. He walked over to the still-in-place hooks. "Hmm, looks like Merry's taken quite a beating. You guys really should have moved this fight to the beach."

To make a point, he reached down and easily removed the hooks. He then tossed them over Yari's head and over the side of the ship.

"No worries though, I think some minor patchwork should be enough for now," he continued, dusting off his hands. "I'll do it after we swat these noisy flies and you all tell me how Merry even got here."

"Sure thing!" Usopp agreed enthusiastically. He was happy to hear a real (super cool robot) shipwright was willing to look Merry over. "Now, get rid of that masochistic psycho!"

Yari crossed her arms. "I refuse to believe Runo fell to someone like you. In any case, it will be a simple matter to take you and your cohorts down, and collect your bounties. I am willing to bet even a metal man like you can feel pain."

A red light seemed to glow from behind one of Franky's sunglasses lenses. "Willing to test that theory?"

"Men!" Yari ordered. "Handle Cyborg while I finish off Pirate Hunter and his colleagues." She grinned coldly. "I still want my new dolls."

Her remaining men gave a battle cry and charged forward, weapons drawn and having the full intent to complete their boss's orders.

Zoro stepped forward, only one sword unsheathed now, but Franky stopped him.

"Take a breather bro," the older man said. "I'm feeling super helpful this week, so just let me handle this one."

The swordsman raised an eyebrow, but nodded and stepped back, giving the cyborg the okay to continue.

Franky grinned, then stuck out his left arm as a hole opened up in his palm. Air was sucked into the hole, and his forearm began to expand. Just as the bounty hunters got close, Franky's forearm seemed to reach its limit.

"_Coup de Vent!_"

All of the air that had been previously sucked in came exploding out in a powerful and solid burst. The hunters went flying back as if they had been hit with a cannonball. Every last one of them shot across the Merry's deck and landed either in the water, on the beach, or in the far off jungle. Miraculously, Merry's railing had not suffered any damage.

The only one who remained standing (and on board that wasn't a pirate) was Yari. Her sword was drawn and brandished directly in front her. She had cut through the attack to keep herself from being sent hurtling from the ship.

"AWESOME!" Usopp cheered excited, waving his good arm up and down.

"_Super_ is more like it!" Franky added, lowering his own arm.

Vivi gaped in amazement. Even Zoro looked a little impressed.

Yari didn't seem to share any of the same sentiments. If anything, she looked more ticked off than she had over the course of the entire fight, and that was saying something.

"You... you think this means anything?" she said in a possessed voice. "I don't need any of those weaklings! If anything, they deserved to lose! The Carrion Bounty Hunters have no room for weaklings!"

The pirates knew this anger was beyond what they had seen already; she was using contractions.

Yari positioned her sword at her hip. "Cyborg; I bet it hurt when you had to put all those machines in your body. I plan to make you relive that pain 100-fold! NO ONE MAKES A FOOL OF ME!"

She ran forward, and this time Zoro prepared to intercept, paralyzed arm or not.

He never had the chance to. All of a sudden, Yari stopped running, her visible eye wide.

"Huh?" Zoro asked in confusion.

"Why'd she stop?" Vivi asked.

Franky smiled. "I think I have an idea why."

The former two gave Franky a questioning look, but it was Usopp who noticed first.

"No way..." Usopp whispered. 'Vivi, Zoro, _look_!"

"Quaw!" Carue added in excitement.

They did, and to their astonishment, one certain skeleton stood behind Yari, a sword in one bony hand and the sheathe in the other.

"That is quite enough," he said in a grim tone.

"Mr. Brook!" Vivi gasped.

"He's okay?!" Zoro shouted.

The musician was once again in one piece; it was as if his skull had never been cut off in the first place.

"I hope you'll accept my sincerest apologies," Brook said without looking at his crewmates. "It pained me to have to listen to your agony, but I was unable to pull myself back together in time; Yari-san's powers somehow disrupted my own. But I'm here now." He began to re-sheathe Soul Solid. "_Three Verse Humming..._"

Yari turned her head slowly over her shoulder to look at Brook. Her pupils were like pinpricks. "Y-You..."

The shikomizue slammed closed. "... _Arrow Notch Slash_!"

_**SHING!**_

Blood fountained from Yari's chest. The woman's eyes became blank, her mouth open in a wordless scream.

_I was careless..._ she thought. _I lost focus and my haki failed me... I didn't see him coming_...

Despite all this, Yari didn't fall over. She was that stubborn.

"N-No..." she stuttered. "I... I r-refuse to..."

"Hey, Yari!"

Before Yari could look at the speaker, they ran over and punched her right in the face. That was the last straw; Yari was sent hurtling over the side of the Merry, landing in the water with a loud splash.

"That was for Alabasta, you sadistic sword freak!" Vivi shouted triumphantly waving her fists at the water below. "Now who has brass, huh?! Huh?!"

The boys all stared at her. Zoro looked at Vivi as if he couldn't comprehend that that had just happened, Usopp was slack-jawed, and Carue simply nodded, proud to have such a strong mistress.

Franky whistled. "I like her. Where'd you guys pick her up?"

No one really answered. They were still processing the scene before them.

Vivi grimaced as she held her fist and turned back to her friends. "Owww... her face is harder than it looks..."

"Wait, your fist hurts?" Usopp asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Mine doesn't."

Vivi looked down at her hand, then noticed that she was holding it with her _other_ hand.

"My arm isn't paralyzed anymore!" she announced happily. "And since you guys aren't feeling my hand pain, our senses aren't linked anymore either!"

Usopp and Zoro moved their own arms experimentally. Sure enough, they moved easily. And now that they thought about it, their bodies didn't hurt nearly as much as they did before.

"You did just knock Yari-san into the ocean," Brook pointed out. "That would have deactivated her powers quite quickly."

Vivi looked over at Brook, then grinned. Happy tears fell from her eyes as she tackled the skeleton to the deck in a joyful hug.

"MR. BROOK, YOU'RE ALIVE!" she cried out, squeezing the musician. She didn't care that hugging bones hurt a little. That pain was nothing in comparison to all she had felt that night.

"Yohohoho! It warms my heart to see that you were so worried about me, Vivi-san!" Brook laughed, patting the princess's back. "Oh, but I don't have a heart! Yohohoho!"

"I don't know about that," Vivi sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"Ah, Vivi-san! If you're that happy, then perhaps you could show me your-"

"Don't push your luck, Mr. Brook."

Brook only laughed again as the others ran over to join them.

"But we saw Yari cut off your head!" Usopp pointed out. "How did you survive?!"

"And how she didn't see your attack coming?" Zoro added, sheathing his sword. "That attack didn't look any faster than before and it sure as heck wasn't random."

"To answer Usopp-san; I'm a skeleton," Brook said as he stood up with Vivi. "It is not flesh or organs that keep me alive, but my very soul. Usually though my Revive Revive powers I can reattach any part of me that gets cut off almost instantaneously. This time though... something was different. Her cutting off my head hurt."

"You said something about her powers?" Usopp prompted.

"Yes. The attack that decapitated me glowed with the same dark pink light her powers give off. I no longer have nerve endings, but I remember what pain feels like. The pain from that attack kept me from focusing my abilities and therefore aiding you when she was torturing you all. I suppose it's just my luck she didn't use Haki in that attack; I might have died for the second time!"

"So how did you bring her down?" Zoro asked, repeating his question.

"I took advantage of her disturbed state," Brook replied. "I had a hunch she wouldn't be able to focus her Haki like that, and I was right."

"So you can lose your focus on your Haki?" Zoro said thoughtfully. "That's good to know."

"Hey, anyone want to tell me what's going on?" Franky spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. "How come Usopp and Zoro are acting like they don't know you or what Haki is? And who's the girl and the duck?"

Before anyone could answer him however, they heard noises coming from the jungle beyond the beach. Someone was coming.

"On second thought, explain it to me once we make an escape," Franky said, changing his mind. "None of you look up for another dog fight."

He then pulled a rope out of nowhere and tossed one end to Usopp.

"Usopp, you and Zoro tie that around Merry's figurehead," he instructed. "Brook, you're with me!"

Brook saluted. "Aye-aye, Franky-san!"

Franky and Brook both jumped back aboard the Sunny as Zoro and Usopp did as they were told. Vivi decided to sit down with Carue and take a much needed rest. No one could really blame her.

"Alright, it's done!" Usopp called up. "Now what?!"

"Hold on tight, everyone!" Brook called down from the Sunny's railing. "This might get a little bumpy!"

How was it going to get bumpy? They were about to ask, when the mane on the Sunny's figure head began to spin.

"What the-" Zoro started to say.

"Emergency Evasion Technique!" Franky's voice echoed loudly across the sky. "_Chicken Voyage!_"

_**SHOOM!**_

"_AHHHHHH!_"

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Sunrise (roughly half an hour later)<br>****Location: Kāla's southwestern beach**

The first thing Yari realized when she came to was that someone was poking her face with a stick. She immediately swatted it away.

"Oh hey, she's not dead!"

She groaned internally; she knew that voice.

She opened her eyes to see a lanky young man in his mid-twenties kneeling over her. He had tanned skin and short, messy violet hair with bangs falling over his left eye. The visible eye was bright green, and had a small mole underneath it. He wore a loose torn-quarter-sleeved orange shirt that hung low on his shoulders but with the shirttail falling to his navel. The shirt was covered in swirling patterns and it made her dizzy to look at it. He also wore a tight tan sash around his waist, yellow knee-length cutoff pants with the Alabastan sun in red on the right pant leg, brown sandals, and wrappings in place of socks. He accessorized with gold wristbands, a gold-bead necklace with a red stone ornament, and small hoop earrings.

In short, it was her feral wild-boy of a twin brother, Baba Runo.

"Of course I'm not dead," she grumbled, forcing herself to sit up (_ugh,_ she was lying in the sand). Although, she did dimly remember dreaming about a field of flowers**[7]**... what had that been about?

Her chest felt tight and stiff, so she looked down to see bandages wrapped tightly around her chest and arms. She even had a bandage across her nose and cheek cut. Someone had removed what was left of her dress for the gauze on her chest (her short-shorts were still on, thank heavens). She hoped it hadn't been Runo.

She remembered the last thing that had happened to her: that perverted skeleton had cut her and Princess Vivi had punched her in the face. Why did all those blasted pirates keep aiming for her face?!

"You may not be dead, but it wasn't from a lack of trying," Runo felt the need to point out, bringing Yari out of her thoughts. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You're lucky we came and fished you out of the drink when we did."

Behind him stood Erity, who was pouring seawater out of her shoes.

"Yeah, you're welcome," she said bitterly.

Yari suddenly looked horrified. "Erity fished me out? Hold on, she didn't-"

"Nope," Runo interrupted. "The honor of giving you mouth-to-mouth went to _him_."

He pointed to Vaughan, who was also standing behind him. The red-eyed man was brushing his teeth.

"I also took the liberty of sealing your wounds," Vaughan added, spitting toothpaste into the pink sand. "You're welcome."

Yari spit as well. It felt only fair. She then stood up with help from her brother.

"One of the men who regained consciousness filled us in," Runo said, handing Yari her shikomizue, once again a parasol. He crossed his arms and smiled smugly. "So, you got your butt handed to you by a pop star, a pervert, a bunch of rookies, the Princess of Alabasta, and a duck. How disappointing, baby sister. It's not like you to show such _weakness._"

"Shut up!" Yari snapped. "I am not weak; I just made the mistake of underestimating them! And for the last time, just because you came out of mother's womb a whole ten minutes before I did does not make you older!"

"Changing the subject won't change the fact you still _lost_. Carrion will not be happy."

"I said shut up!"

"Oh, ignore him," Erity broke in, slipping her shoes back on. "He's just in a mood because he lost his raccoon dog toy."

"Fluffy McFluffmeister wasn't raccoon dog! He was a reindeer!" Runo corrected her indignantly.

"Whatever."

"Like you are one to talk?" Yari said with a huff, ignoring the bit with the reindeer. She poked her brother's forehead. "You lost to Cyborg Franky!"

Runo calmed down and chuckled darkly. "Yari, Yari, Yari... do I _look_ like a man who lost to a giant cyborg?"

Yari gave him a once over and had to admit that he did not. He didn't even have so much as a scratch or bruise.

"Then why-" she started to ask.

Runo pressed a finger to her lips. "Hush now, sis. There's a method to my madness."

Vaughan snorted as he reapplied toothpaste to his toothbrush. "You can say that again."

Yari ignored the sniper and gave her brother an expression that demanded an explanation.

"Tell me, Yari," he sighed. "Have you ever heard the story of two armies that fought a war for ten years, and to finally end the war, one side invaded the other's main city by hiding its army inside a giant gift horse?"

His sister shook her head.

Runo smiled. "Well, I didn't have a horse handy, but I did find this nice lion..."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time: <strong>

_**Chapter 15- Finding the Rainbow Connection**_

* * *

><p><strong>[1]<strong> This is a fencing move known as a passata sotto.  
><strong>[2]<strong> Flunge= Flying lunge. Pretty simple.  
><strong>[3]<strong> Flying Nerve Cut.  
><strong>[4]<strong> Sensory Link: Tenfold.  
><strong>[5]<strong> Nerve Cut- River of Pain.  
><strong>[6]<strong> This isn't actually one of Usopp's attacks. I made it up, but it sounds like something he would come up with.  
><strong>[7} <strong>This is a joke from the Drum Island Arc. When Usopp and Zoro got caught in the avalanche, both claimed to have had a dream about a field of flowers. i.e. the afterlife.


	18. Finding the Rainbow Connection

**Hey ya'll! Guess who watched the first installment of Thriller Bark in English dub? This girl! I like the new voices; Brook's voice is the best, but I already knew that because I watched Strong World. Perona, Hogback, and Moria's voices were really good, but I'm still a little iffy about Absalom. I need to see more of him to form a real opinion.**

**Also... 201 FREAKING REVIEWS PEOPLE! This is officially my most popular story on Fanfiction! I'm rewarding you first with this extra long chapter! And since I've hit another hundred, next chapter is an Omake Special I think you'll like! Thank you all again!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>SBS 5!<span>**

**Chapter Question: "_Which of the Straw Hats is your favorite?_"**

That question is cruel and unusual! How could I possibly pick just one Straw Hat as my favorite?! I love them all so much, and for so many different reasons! Luffy's dedication and innocence, Zoro's loyalty and stoicness, Sanji's lovesick mood swings and coolness, Usopp's cowardliness and heart, Chopper's cuteness and compassion, Nami's cunning and skill, Robin's intelligence and morbidity, Franky's humor and _super _personality, and Brook's music and loyalty that rival's Zoro's! However, if I had to pick a top 3, they would be Luffy, Zoro, and a tie between Robin and Sanji.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 15: Finding the Rainbow Connection... Among Other Things<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Day (but before the events of the previous two chapters. Basically, everything you're about to read occurred before, during, and a little bit after Chapters 13 and 14, in that order)<br>Location: Southern Sector of Kāla's Jungle**

Monster Chopper's gigantic hand came down.

"_RUN!_" Roronoa shouted.

"_**ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!**_"

The pirates made a mad leap out of the path of the incoming hand, and just in time. When it made contact with the ground, it knocked down every tree within the general radius, and left behind a giant crater (taking into account how huge the trees were, this was quite an accomplishment). The Straw Hats didn't waste time thinking about it though; they stumbled a bit from the resulting tremor but immediately resettled on their feet and ran as fast as they could. This did not deter Monster Chopper and the creature chased after them while every-so-often trying to strike them down again, causing more tremors, more craters, and more falling trees that knocked into other trees. Those trees fell as well.

Very early on, the running caused a pain to shoot through Nami's gut from when Erity had kicked her. Chopper, who had transformed into Walk Point, pulled her onto his back without speaking. He still looked completely horrified. Roronoa was carrying the still-unconscious Luffy on his back, Sanji ran as close to Nami and Chopper as he could, and Future Usopp stuck close to Roronoa.

Monster Chopper roared again and made a swipe over their heads, prompting a reaction from Roronoa.

"I don't get it!" he yelled after they ducked.

"Get _what_?! Why our doctor is trying to pulverize us?!" Sanji asked.

"Actually, yes, but I wasn't talking to you, Cook!" Roronoa turned his head sharply toward Usopp. "Why is this happening?! I thought Chopper could control his Monster Point now!"

"He _can_!" Usopp replied. "He used it back in Gyoncorde Plaza! It's the only transformation he needs a Rumble Ball for now, remember?!"

"Wow, seriously?!" Nami asked in wonderment. She looked down at the reindeer she was riding. Chopper was going to improve his abilities that much?

Chopper didn't say anything about his apparent increase in power in the future, instead only staring straight ahead as he galloped. (Do reindeer gallop?)

"Hey, easy on the future stuff!" Roronoa scolded the sniper. "Luffy doesn't want us to give anything away!"

Usopp winced. "Oh, sorry!"

The swordsman shook his head and focused directly ahead. "Whatever! At any rate, all we have to do is avoid him for three minutes! Then he'll turn back and we can get some answers!"

"Only if we survive that long, Mosshead!" Sanji yelled.

Before Roronoa could retort, Monster Chopper tried to flatten them again. It was decided they'd settle the matter when they weren't in imminent peril.

After that last attack, Chopper stopped running. It was such a sharp halt that Nami was sent flying from his back, but luckily Sanji caught her before she hit the ground.

"Dammit, Chopper!" Sanji barked, holding Nami bridal style. "What's the big idea?! Be more careful with Nami-"

Chopper wasn't listening. He had already turned around and was now trotting straight towards his monstrous older self.

"Chopper, what are you doing?!" Sanji hollered. "We're supposed to be running_ away_ from the giant monster!"

"Chopper!" Nami cried out.

Roronoa and Usopp stopped running at the sound of the commotion, and turned to see what the problem was.

"Chopper!" Roronoa shouted. "What are you _doing_?!"

"You guys go on ahead!" Chopper shouted. "I'll handle him!"

"Are you_ insane_?!"

"You can't fight him!" Usopp added.

Luffy remained unconscious, but in this state he buried his face into the back of Roronoa's neck.

Chopper ignored their protests and warnings as he shifted between Walk Point to Brain Point. As he ran, he reached into his blue bag and removed a Rumble Ball.

"_Rumble!_" He bit down on the round pill as soon as he got close to Monster Chopper. "_Jumping Point!_"

Chopper jumped into the air so that he was level with just below his older self's neck. His form shifted again; he was more reindeer-like but his arm muscles had expanded to ridiculous proportions.

"_Arm Point!_" Chopper called out. He reared back one hoof, then punched it directly into his older self's chest. "_Cloven Roseo!_"

The force of the punch left behind a hoof print in Monster Chopper's chest, but elder reindeer didn't even blink. With amazing speed for someone of his size, Monster Chopper raised his arm and swatted his younger self into a tree like a fly. A crater formed in the tree where Chopper hit, and after hanging for a few seconds, the younger reindeer tumbled to the ground.

"Chopper!" Nami cried out worriedly.

Monster Chopper didn't appear to be done with his younger self. He stomped over to where he fell and lifted one giant hand. He had tucked in his thumb and pinky fingers, and the three remaining ones were curved into a claw-like position.

Chopper struggled to get up. By some miracle the first blow hadn't knocked him out, but he was now back in Brain Point and he hurt all over.

"Chopper, stop!" Usopp shouted. "Don't hurt Chopper!"

"That made no sense!" Sanji yelled at him.

Before Nami could scold him that now was not the time for such comments, she soon found herself sharing Sanji's arms with Luffy. She removed herself from Sanji's grasp to make room for her rubbery captain.

"What the-" Sanji said, readjusting himself so he could hold Luffy more easily. "Roronoa, what are you-!"

Monster Chopper drew back his hand. "**Cloven Rose...**"

The pirates stared at him in shock. He could talk?!

_But Chopper can't talk when he loses control..._ Usopp thought. _Then does that mean..._?

"**PALM!**"

"_CHOPPER!_"

Chopper closed his eyes, fully expecting for the immeasurable amount of pain he was about to experience.

It never came.

When he opened his eyes, Chopper gasped. "_Roronoa_?!"

The swordsman was standing in front of him, heels dug into the ground and arms wrapped around Monster Chopper's fingers. Every one of his muscles bulged from exertion, and his teeth were grit to the point of almost cracking. Chopper noticed with wide eyes that blood was dripping from the swordsman's arm from under his sleeve. He had ripped open his shoulder wound again.

"Roronoa, your shoulder-!" Chopper began to lecture.

"Shut up!" Roronoa snapped.

Chopper's mouth clamped shut.

"I gave you guys one rule; don't fight anyone from the future without my saying so!" Roronoa shouted, not even turning around once to speak directly to the reindeer he just saved. He couldn't move an inch, or he would lose his grip on Monster Chopper's hand. "That includes your future selves! You could've died just now if I hadn't come in! Moron!"

Chopper teared up a little. "I... I just..."

"Roronoa, that's a little harsh!" Nami yelled. "You don't have to yell at Chopper like that!"

"Nami, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Roronoa's right," Sanji disagreed. "Chopper was reckless. Luffy may make jumping into things without thinking look easy, but what Chopper did was just plain foolish."

Nami stared at the chef in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," Chopper apologized. "I just... I just felt like he was my responsibility." He lowered his eyes, sniffling. "The first time I rampaged like this... I couldn't do anything then, but I figured that now... I couldn't let_ myself_ hurt my friends... I only just got you-!"

"I get your reasons," Roronoa interrupted. He didn't sound as angry. "But don't go picking fights with people you _know_ you can't defeat like some sort of sacrifice while the rest of us escape. Trust me, if there's one thing Luffy hates and won't tolerate, it's a crewmate who tries to be a sacrifice. You're lucky that I'm not going to tell him about this."

Roronoa looked up at Monster Chopper, who was pushing against the swordsman to get his hand free. "Alright, Chopper. We have two more minutes, so mind telling us what this is about? You're not mindless; we heard you speak."

Monster Chopper stopped struggling, then slowly pulled his hand out of Roronoa's arms. He looked down blankly at his comrade, taking heavy breaths.

"**... Play...**" he said at last.

"Play?" Usopp echoed.

"**... Play... with friends...**" Monster Chopper went on, as if in a daze. "**... Master... said** **to...**"

"You've been trying to kill us!" Usopp hollered. "How is _that_ playing?!"

Nami's eyes widened. Of course, that was the answer!

"He's in a trance!" the navigator announced.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"It just like with Tattoos on the beach!" she continued. "Someone hypnotized future Chopper! 'Play with your friends' must be be some post-hypnotic command!"

"Then that means even if he turns back, he'll keep trying to attack us!" Sanji realized.

Monster Chopper growled and brought both his hands over his head, clasped together.

"Zoro, Chopper! Chopper's attacking again!" Usopp warned.

"Okay, once we get out of this, we're thinking of something different to call him!" Sanji yelled in aggravation.

"_**PLAY!**_" Monster Chopper howled.

Roronoa quickly scooped up the younger Chopper and jumped out of the way. When Monster Chopper brought his hands down, he broke the tree they had been standing in front of in half. Roronoa and Chopper quickly made their way back to their group.

"Usopp," Roronoa said. "What's our time?"

"A little less than two minutes," he replied. He snarled and clutched his wounded arm. "Dammit! I have Sleep Stars that could probably take him out, but I can't shoot because that CP9 knock-off busted my arm!"

"No use crying over spilled milk," the swordsman told him.

"It's not milk, it's my _arm_!"

"Should we just keep running then?" Nami asked, interrupting the two future men.

"You and Usopp are in no condition to keep on running, and I don't think we should keep jostling Luffy with the condition _he's_ in," Sanji said. He glanced at Roronoa. "Guess we'll have to fight."

Roronoa scowled, but knew the cook had a point (for once).

"Alright, fine! You can fight this time!" Roronoa relented. He turned to the little reindeer he was still holding. "Well, you started this. Only makes sense you get to help finish it too."

Chopper's eyes widened, and then he wiped away the tears and smiled. "Okay, Roronoa!"

Roronoa set Chopper down and unsheathed Shusui. Sanji set Luffy down against a giant tree root next to Nami and Usopp, then lit a fresh cigarette as he joined Roronoa. Chopper shifted into Heavy Point and crossed his arms, trying to look more intimidating than he felt.

"Got a plan?" Sanji asked Roronoa. "We don't want to hurt the not-so-little guy, right?"

Monster Chopper stood up straight, unclasping his hands.

"Chopper's practically invulnerable when he's like this, so our best bet is to keep him busy until his Rumble Balls wears off. However, I am open to ideas." The swordsman glanced over his shoulder. "Usopp, what's our time?!"

"A little more than a minute left!" the sniper replied.

"Perfect, thanks!"

"I have an idea," Sanji said. He looked at their younger doctor. "Chopper, is your Rumble Ball still in effect?"

"For a couple more minutes, yeah," Chopper replied. "Why?"

"Think you could use Scope or whatever to find Jumbo's weakness while me and Roronoa distract it?" the cook asked. "I figure you won't want to try attacking him head on again."

Monster Chopper turned to face the group.

"He's coming!" Nami shrieked.

"If that's how I can make myself useful, then I'll do it," Chopper said with a nod.

"Not a bad plan, Cook," Roronoa commented. "Who knew you had a brain underneath all that unmanly blondness."**[1]**

"Shut up, Mosshead! At least I_ had_ a plan!"

Monster Chopper raised one massive hand.

"One minute left exactly!" Usopp shouted. "Go, _now_!"

Roronoa and Sanji jumped into action. Sanji immediately went for Monster Chopper's legs, rearing his leg back.

"_Gigot_!" he called out, sweeping his leg out into the rampaging doctor's kneecaps.

Monster Chopper roared, but he didn't appear to feel it that much. Instead he tried to swat Sanji away. The chef lept out of the away, landed on top of Chopper's hand, then kicked off while flipping into the air.

"_Mouton Shoot!_"

Sanji planted his foot directly into the giant reindeer's mid-section. Using Mouton Shoot without using the rest of the attacks before hand made the attack feel premature, but Monster Chopper was simply too tall and Sanji couldn't jump that high.

As Sanji fell back to the ground, Roronoa lept straight into the air and brought Shusui down in an arc motion.

"_Ittoryu: Yakkodori!_"

The motion created a crescent-shaped glowing slash, which flew right into Monster Chopper's upper chest. The giant creature roared, reeling back.

"Hey! I thought you weren't going to hurt him!" Nami hollered.

"I used the back of the blade!" Roronoa hollered back.

While this was going on, Brain Point Chopper had put his hooves out in front of him, and was now looking through the hole they created.

_Scope!_ he thought. He scanned all over his older self. _Come on, come on... I've- I mean,_ he's_ got to have a weakness_!

Finally, Chopper found it in the least likely of spots.

"Guys, I found it!" Chopper shouted. "His weak point is in the right temple!"

"The right temple?!" Roronoa repeated.

"That's so random!" Sanji added.

"It's not like I picked it!" Chopper shouted.

Monster Chopper recovered from Roronoa's Yakkodori. Roaring in anger, he uprooted one of the smaller trees and prepared to smash the pirates that were causing him so much trouble.

"Cook!" Roronoa shouted. "Stick out your leg!"

Sanji did so without argument for once, and when Roronoa jumped on to the outstretched limb, he understood what the swordsman wanted him to do. It was just like with Luffy back on Drum...

"_Armée de L'Air... Mosshead__ Shoot!_"

Sanji kicked out his leg, launching the swordsman right into the air aimed toward Monster Chopper's head. As the swordsman hurtled forward, he sheathed Shusui and held the blade like a bat. Before the giant doctor could do anything to stop him, like batting him aside with the uprooted tree, Roronoa swung Shusui smack into his right temple.

_**CRACK!**_

Monster Chopper went down almost instantaneously. He first dropped the tree (narrowly missing Usopp, Nami, and Luffy), swayed back and forth for a moment, then fell forward with a loud thud. The impact of the fall kicked up dust, and when it cleared, Roronoa was sitting on Monster Chopper's back. Shusui was balanced across the swordsman's shoulders, hand gripping the hilt cockily.

"For the record," he said, sliding his sword back through his sash. "You call that move _Power_ Shoot. Since it worked, I'll let the insult slide this time." He stood up and stepped off of the unconscious reindeer monster. "Usopp, what's our time?

Usopp blinked, processing everything that just happened. "Uh... five seconds?"

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

_**POOF!**_

A puff of smoke went off where Monster Chopper lay, and it dissipated rather quickly. Everyone gathered around the small shape that had replaced the large one.

"Is that... really _me_?" Chopper said in awe.

To Nami and Sanji's surprise, he didn't look all that different from their Chopper.

Monster Chopper, or rather O_ther_ Chopper, had changed back into Brain Point, looking almost exactly the same as his younger self. The only physical differences were that he was a little taller, and his fur was a lighter color. His horns were also bigger, though the left one still held the metal ring Chopper's had. Of course, his nose was still very blue. For clothes he wore a blue cap with metal studs over his pink hat, and a pair of orange shorts.

"This is so _weird_," Chopper whispered.

"Welcome to my world," Roronoa said gruffly.

Other Chopper stirred where he lay. The motion was unexpected, so Chopper yelped and ran behind the nearest bush, hiding behind it once again the wrong way. It was probably for the best. Who knew how Other Chopper would react to his younger self? To be safe, Roronoa motioned Nami and Sanji to step back. They complied, going over to where Luffy lay.

Other Chopper sleepily blinked his eyes. "What... what's going on? Where am I? Why does my head hurt?" He tried to rub the bump, but he couldn't move his arm. "Why can't I move?"

"Welcome back to the land of the fully-conscious, Chopper," Roronoa said, holding up one hand in greeting.

"Had me worried for a second there," Usopp added, sounding fully relieved. "You got hit pretty hard."

Other Chopper's eyes widened, then he grinned. "Zoro, Usopp! You're here!"

The reindeer fidgeted on his back for a second, before he gave up.

"... Were you trying to jump up and hug us just now?" Roronoa asked.

"... Yes," Other Chopper admitted.

Roronoa rolled his eye, bent over, picked the young reindeer up, and balanced him on his hip. He did it in a way that made it look like a huge inconvenience, but he wasn't fooling anybody.

"This better?" Roronoa asked.

"Yeah, this is perfect!" Other Chopper said. "Thanks a bunch, Zoro!"

Nami took in the scene with surprise. This was the same Chopper who hid every time Zoro entered the room back when he first boarded?

Sanji didn't know whether to laugh at this or find it touching. When did Zoro get so friendly with their reindeer in the future?

Chopper smiled a little. Roronoa wasn't just cool, he was really nice.

Other Chopper suddenly gasped, seeing the blood dripping down Roronoa's arm. "Zoro! You're wounded!" He gasped again when he saw Usopp. "Usopp, your arm is hurt too! We need a doctor, quick!"

"_You're_ the doctor," the two men reminded him.

"Right, sorry!" Other Chopper tried to move again, only to fail. "Dang it, why can't I move?! It feels like I went into Monster Point or something!"

"Uh, Chopper?" Usopp said. "You _did_ go into Monster Point."

"HUH?!"

It was then Other Chopper noticed all of the destruction around him.

"When did all this happen?!" he shrieked. He lip trembled. "I can't... I can't remember anything... everything after we fought that feral jerk is a blank!"

"What feral jerk?" Roronoa asked.

"It has to do with what happened to me, Chopper, Nami, and Sanji after we arrived here," Usopp explained. "I'll explain more in a little while. But first, I think we have other priorities."

Roronoa nodded, then turned to Other Chopper. "Chopper, we have a lot to fill you in on."

Roronoa and Usopp turned so that they (and Other Chopper by extension) were facing Nami, Sanji, Luffy, and Chopper.

Other Chopper sighed in relief. "Sanji, Nami, you escaped too! I'm so relieved!" He saw Luffy. "Oh no, Luffy! What happened to him?!" He tried to leap from Roronoa's grip. "Arghh, I have to treat him! Put me down, Zoro!"

"You can't_ move_," Roronoa reminded him. "Don't worry, we have someone who can take care of him until you're better."

"Who?" the reindeer doctor asked.

Usopp and Roronoa pointed to the bush Chopper was (futilely) hiding behind. "Him."

Chopper stepped into full view and waved nervously. "Um... hi."

It took a few seconds for Other Chopper to realize who the figure before him was. But not too long.

"EHHHHHH?! ITS _ME_!"

"Yup," Usopp confirmed.

"A-and now that I-I think about it," Other Chopper continued. "Nami and Sanji look different too! Just what is going on here?! Why are Luffy, you, and Zoro hurt?! Why are there two of me?! Why do Nami and Sanji look _younger_?!"

"It's a really long story," Chopper replied.

"We'll tell you everything you want to know, but not at this very second," Sanji added. He pointed up at the sky. It was purple and red; a sure sign the sun was setting. "It'll be dark soon, and as you said, we've got injured."

"We should set up camp," Nami suggested to Roronoa. "Then when the sun rises again, we can go meet up with Brook and the others."

"Might as well," Roronoa agreed. He glanced at his shoulder. "You know, I don't think this has stopped bleeding since I tore it again."

"WHAT?!" Chopper hollered. He ran over to the swordsman. "Why didn't you say anything?! Sit down before you bleed to death!"

"Listen to him, Zoro!" Other Chopper scolded. "Why are you so reckless?! Do you have a death wish?!"

"Lay off," the swordsman grunted. Great, now he had two little doctors who nag him.

Usopp and the others simply laughed. Even with two doctors scolding him, he probably wouldn't listen. Still, it was a nice break from all the stress they had gone through that day. Leaving Roronoa to the reindeers' mercy, they began to set up camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Several minutes after sunset<br>Location: Southwest Sector of the Jungle**

"YOU LUNKHEAD!"

**_BONK!_**

"OW!" Vaughan rubbed his head and gave his comrade a sour look. "How many more times are you going to hit me? I actually _need_ those brain cells you're killing."

After 'making their exit', Vaughan had dragged Erity a reasonable distance (the man had some ridiculous stamina), and hadn't stopped running until the sun set. After taking a short break to catch their breaths, Erity had taken the opportunity to show Vaughan _exactly_ how she felt about his little stunt.

"How many, you ask?" Erity cracked her gauntlet-adorned knuckles. "As many times as it takes to knock the stupid out of your puny little head! I can't stop you from being an idiot, but I can sure as heck hit you for it!"

This time when she attempted to punch him, Vaughan let his Haki take over and he avoided each strike.

"We-" Punch. "-had them-" Kick. "-where we-" Another kick. "-wanted them-" Right uppercut. "-and you-" Left crescent kick. "-let them-" Left punch aimed for his eye. "-GO!"

Vaughan caught the last punch and then twisted Erity's fist. The mohawked woman showed no signs of discomfort and kicked her leg directly upward, intending to strike- and possibly break- the younger man's jaw. Vaughan bent backward before that could happen, thankfully.

"I mean, seriously!" she continued to gripe. She began a series of rapid fire kicks that Vaughan blocked with his forearm. "What is going through your fool head?!"

Vaughan caught her ankle and flipped her over his shoulder. The woman landed on her hands and then flipped back into a standing position. She reared back her leg for a Tempest Kick.

"You know Whitebeard?" Vaughan said all of sudden.

Erity froze mid-kick. "Pardon?"

"Whitebeard. Edward Newgate, formerly an Emperor, died two years ago...?"

"Of course I know who Whitebeard is, you dolt! What about him?!"

"Why was he called 'Whitebeard'?" Vaughan asked seriously.

Erity sweatdropped. "_What_?!"

Vaughan crossed his arms. "I mean, I've seen pictures of the guy and he didn't have a beard; it was a mustache."

"I don't know," Erity said sarcastically. "Maybe the 'White-Mustache Pirates' didn't sound_ half_ as intimidating." She threw her arms up in the air. "What does that have to do with_ anything_?!"

The sniper/swordsman shrugged. "You asked what was going through my head, and that was it."

"... The origins behind Edward Newgate's epithet is what is going through your head as this_ very momen_t; even when I was kicking at you?"

"Yup."

Erity stared at Vaughan for a full minute before sighing and facepalming. _This_ was what she had to deal with on a daily basis. Vaughan, on top of Runo and Yari, caused her more stress than that longnosed sniper ever could.

"Vaughan, tell me something; are you completely out of your mind?" she asked tiredly.

"Well, my uncle _did_ take me in for testing at the island's university, and they said I wasn't," Vaughan answered thoughtfully. His brow furrowed. "But they did suggest further testing on the next island-"**[2]**

"THAT WAS RHETORICAL, YOU NIMROD!"

She tried to kick him again, but this time Vaughan rolled his eyes and muttered, "_Sanguine Armament._"

At that moment, the veins in Vaughan's body all bulged- it was very strange to look at. When Erity's foot connected with his upper arm, it was as if she had just kicked a solid steel wall.

"OH MOTHER-!" Erity bit off the rest of the curse and hopped up and down, clutching her throbbing foot. "What did you-?"

"I hardened my own blood to create a sub-dermal armor," he explained.**[3]** "Unless you learn Haki in the next ten seconds, you're not breaking through it."

She shot him a quizzical look. "... Can you even _move_ when you're like that?"

"Nope," he admitted. "But don't think you can knock me over. I can deactivate my armor and kick your sorry butt before you can even try."

The pair held a tense staring contest for a few minutes. You could cut said tension with a knife.

"I don't get you, Enoch," Erity said at last, gingerly putting her foot down. "Not now, and not even when we met a year and a half ago."

Vaughan smirked, deactivated his powers, and casually began to run his thumb over his medallion. "What's to get? I'm just your run-of-the-mill bounty hunter turned treasure hunter."

"Run-of-the-mill bounty hunters don't blow the money they gain from bounties on slaves in the Human Auction House, only to free them not an hour later." Erity smiled smugly. "That's why you set up a shop on Sabaody, right?"

"Sabaody is a pirate hot spot and business was good. If you have a point, feel free to make it," the red-eyed man said, not directly confirming her statement or asking how she even knew that.

"I'm saying that despite what you want people to believe, you're not that bad a guy. I mean, you beat up Straw Hat within an inch of his life, but then gave him his blood back and sealed his wounds."

"It was only fair. At any rate, if he's anything like his grandfather, he'll walk those injuries off in a day."

"You mocked Pirate Hunter about what happened back on the Archipelago; that was low and made you look like a jerk," Erity went on. "But heck, back when Carrion was talking about killing the brat after all is said and done, you were the only one who protested."

"Those actions have nothing to do with each other," Vaughan said, starting to sound impatient. "I'm still not hearing a point."

"My point is that you're much nicer than you pretend to be... so one has to wonder what the heck you're doing working for scum like Carrion."

She had now made her point... and it had been a completely unanticipated one.

Vaughan raised an eyebrow. "Unless things have changed in the last five minutes, you're working for him too."

"True," Erity admitted offhandedly. "But besides my ample paycheck, I have my own reasons for wanting to find the 'Star of Kāla'.**[4]** Otherwise, I would have dropped our _wonderful_ boss ages ago."

"Then there you go," Vaughan stated as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

After placing the smoke between his lips and lighting it, he took a drag and continued. "Maybe I want to find the Star on the island; maybe I don't. It doesn't matter because in the long run, all of_ this_- Carrion, this hunting crew, the Straw Hats- are just means to an end." He exhaled smoke. "What that end_ is_ though is my business and mine alone."

"That why you let the pirates go?" the mohawked woman asked. "It's hard to be a 'means to an end' if you're in a cage back at base camp."

Now she had brought them back to the origin of their argument; letting the Straw Hats escape. Vaughan hadn't thought she asked about his moral position just for kicks. Erity liked to have as much information as she could, a trait he both respected and found irking.

"Why? You going to tell Boss if it's true?"

"Please," Erity scoffed. "I bet you and I could write a _book_ with stuff we don't tell Boss, then get that book banned by the World Government."

"Now that's a book I wouldn't mind reading," a new voice broke in.

Erity's head snapped to the side. There sat Runo, cross-legged and drumming his fingers impatiently on his knee.

"What the- when did you get here?!" Erity shouted.

"You just _now_ noticed he was here?" Vaughan asked with a sweatdrop.

"What the heck are you talking about? How did you notice he was here before-" She stopped when Vaughan gave her a look. "Oh, right. Flippin' Haki-users... next time say something."

"I'll be sure to do so."

"We done having Friendly Bonding Corner?" Runo asked, standing up and crossing his arms bitterly. "Good. Because last time I checked, we have pirates to find and beat into a bloody pulp."

Usually when Runo said something like that, he would grin and look eager for a fight. This time, however, he looked halfway between upset and TO-ed.

"Geez, you're in a bad mood," Vaughan commented. "Did something happen when you went to play with your toys?"

"Shuddup, Bloody Mary!" Runo snapped. "Or you'll be my sister's next doll!"

"Whoa, what's your damage?" Erity asked.

"'Bloody Mary'?" Vaughan whispered to himself.

Runo scowled. "If you must know, I've lost my connection with Fluffy McFluffmeister. Someone broke him out of my hypnosis."

Erity put on a deadpan expression. "... Are you talking about that tanuki?"

"HE WAS A _REINDEER_!"

"Eh, nuance."

"Well, whatever!" Runo declared. "If he was weak enough to be defeated so easily, then I have no use for him. Who needs a useless fluff-ball anyways?!"

This righteous announcement would have been more believable if teardrops hadn't formed in the corners of his eyes and if he hadn't been biting on his shirt collar in distress.

"Sour grapes, anyone?" Vaughan asked sarcastically, taking another drag.

"Why is it you don't understand rhetorical questions but are still capable of asking them?" Erity asked the red-eyed man.

"Strict upbringing."

"That makes no sense."

"I'm still here, you know!" Runo snapped, interrupting the pair's discussion. He wiped his eyes and regained his confident and creepy composure.

"In any case," he went, running a hand through his hair. "It seems I'm in need of a replacement toy, and I know just where to get one."

"Oh yeah? And where's that?" Vaughan asked.

Runo grinned maniacally. "I'm in constant connection with those I hypnotize. So I'm able to extend my Haki through them if I concentrate hard enough, even with this island's muting effect. And you'll never believe who's ship we just found."

* * *

><p><strong>Time: An hour after sunset<strong>  
><strong>Location: With the LuffyEventual Future Usopp/Roronoa's-Mystery-Girl-If-We-Happen-To-See-Her Search and Rescue Team**

It didn't take long for it to get dark, so the Straw Hats managed to get a campsite set up. Once they had a fire going- Nami argued it would lead the hunters to them, but Usopp and Other Chopper said a fire was a must when camping- Chopper had gotten to work treating everyone's wounds. Usopp revealed he also had Other Chopper's blue bag- much to the Older Chopper's joy- claiming to have picked it up earlier, which proved to be a great aide to Chopper.

Luffy went first, naturally. Thanks to the Vaughan (a very large, bittersweet pill they had to swallow), Luffy had not died from blood loss and his wounds were already sealed. Chopper still gave his captain medicine to lessen the risk of blood-poisoning and tightly wrapped each wound in gauze. After that was done, he laid his captain out on a blanket to rest. Roronoa was next; luckily the reindeer doctor had brought supplies for making stitches this time and he was able to sew his shoulder shut again. Roronoa was officially banned from using a sword until the doctor said so, much to the former's chagrin of being bossed around by the little reindeer. Still, the swordsman chose to sit vigilantly next to his captain, with Other Chopper seated in his lap.

Other Chopper hadn't had any injuries, save for a bump on his right temple. He still couldn't move, but he assured everyone he would return to normal in at least another hour. Chopper taped an ice pack to his older self's head and left it at that. Other Chopper had complimented his work though.

Chopper took care of Usopp next, rubbing a salve from Other Chopper's bag over the wounds on his arm before bandaging it. Within fifteen minutes the sniper could move his arm freely. The reindeer used the same salve on Nami's stomach bruises, and it wasn't long before the navigator felt better as well.

Once everyone had been taken care of that needed to be, Nami, Sanji, Chopper, and Roronoa filled Other Chopper (and Usopp, as he still didn't know a lot) in on everything that had happened. This ranged from the Past Straw Hats' landfall to Luffy running off like a moron to save Future Usopp. While expressing relief that at least Brook had been located and was now leading a search for Franky and the Sunny, Other Chopper was understandably taken aback. Usopp was too, and he'd_ already_ been told been told Nami, Sanji and Chopper were from the past. Once the initial wonderment wore off though, both agreed that this still wasn't the weirdest thing they'd encountered since joining up with Luffy. It was definitely in the top ten, but not the weirdest. Roronoa readily agreed as well.

(Over the course of the explanation, Roronoa prevented any mentions of the Going Merry. He wanted this one to be a surprise; he wondered why the idea hadn't occurred to Usopp and Other Chopper yet.)

Once the explanation had finished, Sanji passed out pirate lunchboxes and the group began to eat.

"So, I just joined the crew a few days ago?" Other Chopper asked. Usopp sat next to him and Roronoa, and every so often the sniper fed him some food.

Chopper looked up from his food, mouth full of fish. "Hmm? Yeah, that's right. Two days in fact."

Usopp leaned back a little, crossing his arms. He looked nostalgically into the flames of the campfire. "Man, Drum Island... that was so long ago. More than two years." He frowned and rubbed his face in painful memory. "Ugh... aside from getting Chopper, that whole debacle was a nightmare."

"What are you talking about? It wasn't that bad," Roronoa disagreed.

"Not that bad?! Have you forgotten the parts where we were chased down a mountain by a scalpel-tossing witch, attacked by a human trash compacter, and buried by an avalanche?!"

"_Did_ that last part happen?" Roronoa asked.

"_Yes_! You were buried in the snow in just your pants, and Vivi slapped me so many times to make sure I was still alive that my face swelled up to the size of a beach ball!"

"Now_ that_ I remember." Roronoa shrugged and took another bite of food. "Didn't even recognize you until I saw your nose."

"You jerk!" Usopp yelled. "You only remember what you want to remember, don't you?!"

"I think you're confusing me with Luffy."

"You guys were caught in the avalanche like Sanji?!" Chopper gasped. He stood up. "Why didn't you tell me?! You could have gotten frostbite or bone fractures or who knows what else! Let me look at you right now!"

"Uh, Chopper?" Nami chimed in. "For these two, that avalanche was over two years in the past. Any injuries Usopp and Roronoa might have gotten then would have healed a long time ago."

Chopper wilted, sitting back down. "That's right. I forgot."

"'Roronoa?'" Usopp questioned.

"Why do you guys keep calling Zoro by his surname?" Other Chopper added.

"We decided it'd be best if we called the two Sword Freaks different things," Sanji explained, lighting a cigarette on the campfire. "You know, to keep addressing them from getting confusing."

"So we still call younger Zoro 'Zoro' and we call older Zoro 'Roronoa,'" Nami finished for the cook. She closed her bento. "While we're on the subject, we should probably decide what to call you two. You know, for future reference."

"Vivi always called me 'Tony,'" Other Chopper suggested. "I don't mind going by that."

"Sounds good to me," Roronoa said. "Vivi will have to start calling your past self by his first name when we regroup with her, though."

"That's right, Vivi never called you 'Chopper,' did she?" Usopp recalled. "Just like she never called Zoro by his name."

"It was okay; I actually liked it when she called me that." The newly-dubbed Tony smiled. "I've missed Vivi so much! I can't wait to see her again!"

"Me too," Usopp agreed. "I hated leaving her behind in Alabasta, so it'll be nice to have her around again, even if it's for a little while." He then stood up and placed one hand against his chest dramatically. "Now, as for what I will go by, I have the perfect name that you can call me."

"We're not calling you 'the Great Captain Usopp,'" Sanji said, annoyed.

"A flattering idea, but not remotely what I had in mind," Usopp admitted. "I'm not Captain, so there's no reason to call me that."

Nami and Sanji's jaws dropped (Chopper's didn't, because he still didn't know Usopp well enough to know this behavior was out of the ordinary). Did they actually hear _those_ words come out of_ Usopp's_ mouth? Usopp had been calling himself 'the Great Captain Usopp' since they met him.

"Since when do you _not_ call yourself that?" Nami asked dubiously.

Now that she thought about it, Future Usopp hadn't called himself that the entire time she'd known him.

"Yeah, it's kind of your trademark," Sanji pointed out.

Usopp 's eyes widened, as if he were having a major revelation. He opened his mouth to tell them something important, but shut it when Roronoa shot him a glare. The swordsman shook his head. Tony gave him a sympathetic look.

Usopp frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. He wouldn't meet their eyes. "...Sorry guys. I can't really explain it without giving away too much about the future, you know?"

Sanji and Nami noticed how uncomfortable Usopp looked, so they decided to drop the subject. Nami, however, had a suspicious feeling that it had to do with Usopp asking her if she meant what she said about how he'd never do anything to hurt the crew. Still, she didn't make any further attempts to continue discussing the topic.

"Usopp? You said you had an idea as to what we could call you?" Chopper piped up.

"Yosh! Thanks, Chopper!" Usopp resumed his dramatic pose. "It would only make sense that you all call me by my title in the New World; Sniper King, King of the Snipers!"

"We are_ not_ calling you that!" Sanji and Nami hollered. "It's too long!"

"You sure that's a good idea, Usopp?" Roronoa pointed out. He discretely gestured to Tony.

"Why would we call_ you_ Sniper King, Usopp?" Tony asked innocently. "He said he was your friend and all, but will he really be okay with you using his name like that?"

Usopp practically deflated. _Oh yeah... he and Luffy still don't know_...

"There's another Sniper King?" Chopper asked. "But the guy on the bounty hunter ship-"

"It's a future thing; don't worry about it!" Usopp said quickly, waving the question off.

Roronoa snickered. "Well, at least that's not a complete lie." He snapped his fingers. "I got it! We'll call you 'Lysopp'."**[5]**

"HECK NO!" the newly-dubbed Lysopp protested.

"Sounds good to me," Nami agreed.

"Can't believe Mosshead actually came up with something decent," Sanji commented.

"Hi, Lysopp!" Chopper and Tony greeted, making it official.

Lysopp sat back down, slumping in his seat._ Now I know how Franky felt when we named the Sunny._..

"Now that that's settled, I think it's about time we got some answers for ourselves," Sanji said. He pointed at Lysopp and Tony. "Tony, you were hypnotized and attacked us. Lysopp, you've been chasing bounty hunters around for the last day. Add that on top of what Luffy found on the beach..."

Roronoa reached into his haramaki and removed the New World log pose.

"Just what has happened to you guys since you got on this island?"

"Nami's log pose!" Tony gasped. "Where'd you find it?"

"On the beach south of here," Nami replied.

Tony frowned. "Yeah... that sounds about right. We were on a beach when..."

"When what?" Roronoa asked, placing the pose back in his waistband.

"... when my memories stop."

Lysopp got into a more comfortable sitting position. "I guess I'll start. We had just weighed anchor after our Luffy went rocketing on to the island like an idiot. Our Sanji wanted to go into the jungle to look for provisions..."

_"Oh Nami, I'm so happy you decided to come with me on my trek into the jungle!" Future Sanji gushed in mellorine-mode. "I'm sure I'll find lots of food with you guiding my way!"_

_"No problem," Future Nami said, humoring him. "I wanted to survey the land for a map anyway."_

_"You're so humble, Nami-swan!"_

_"Uh, we're here too," Future Usopp said, referring to himself and Future Chopper._

_"Sanji, keep your emotions in check!" Chopper warned urgently. "I don't want you to relapse!"_

_"Relax, Chopper," Sanji said. "Thanks to Shirahoshi-chan, I'm completely cured of my little episodes. So no worries, alright?"_

_That did little to reassure the reindeer, but he decided to trust Sanji for now. He'd just have to keep an eye on the chef._

_The group of four walked deeper into the jungle, marveling at the gigantic trees and other tropical flora. That is, except Usopp, who had lowered his goggles and was aiming his Kuro Kabuto in random directions._

_"Wow, these trees are huge!" Nami said in wonder. "They kind of remind me of the ones on Skypiea."_

_"Still shrimpy compared to the mangroves on Sabaody though," Sanji said, running a hand on one of the tree roots. It came to about his shoulder._

_"I like the leaves!" Chopper voiced his opinion. "They look like they sparkle when the sunlight hits them!"_

_"Huh, so they do," Nami noticed. "I wonder why. Think Robin would know?"_

_"Robin-chan is the smartest woman I know! Of course she'd know if we asked!" Sanji said with confidence. _

_Usopp kept aiming his slingshot at random spots, until finally Sanji snapped at him._

_"Would you cut that out?!" Sanji barked at him. "You're making nervous with all that pointing! What's your problem?"_

_"_My_ problem?" Usopp repeated. "My problem is that you all have seem to forgotten why we're on this island!"_

_The other three stared at his panicky state. _

_"Luffy wanted to come here, didn't he?" Chopper guessed. "He _is_ the captain."_

_"I mean we're only here because some crazy current dragged our ship to an island that appeared out of nowhere!" Usopp threw his arms open, gesturing to their surroundings. "I mean, just look at this place! Who knows what could be lurking in the trees? I don't know, and I don't want to find out!"_

_"We're in the New World, Usopp," Nami sighed. "For all we know, this kind of thing is normal. The best we can do is accept that we're here and make the most of it."_

_"But aren't you the least bit worried?!"_

_"You know, I'm actually not," Nami admitted. "I don't know why, but I don't feel afraid of this island. It seems almost..._ familiar,_ like I've been here before."_

_"I've been having that same feeling," Sanji confessed too. He grinned at Nami. "We already think alike! Isn't that great, Nami my dear?"_

_Nami ignored him this time._

_"Now that you mention it, this place smells familiar." Chopper sniffed the air and shrugged. "I can't place it though."_

_"You guys are all nuts!" Usopp snapped. "Like Zoro said, I think we'd remember being dragged to a disappearing/reappearing island by a super current!"_

_"Oh, so you're saying this place _isn't_ familiar to you?" Nami asked, crossing her arms._

_Usopp didn't answer, which was all the answer she needed._

_"That's what I thought," the navigator said with satisfaction. "Well, whatever this is feeling is, I'm sure it'll pass. For now we can just keeping looking around." She smiled greedily. "Who knows, maybe we'll even find some treasure!"_

_Before anyone could scold for her one-track mind (or in Sanji's case, declare how cute it was), one of the tree roots in front of them exploded._

_"If this island holds any treasure," a voice spoke from the dust and smoke. "I'm afraid Boss Carrion is going to want to see it first. I'm sure you understand."_

_The debris and dust cleared to reveal four people; two men and two women._

"I'm guessing Erity and Vaughan were two of those?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Lysopp replied. "And the other two are named Runo and Yari- at least that's what the others called them."

_"Carrion?!" Nami repeated. She quickly assembled her Sorcery Clima-tact. _

_"Looks like the bounty hunters followed us ashore," Sanji said, taking a defensive position._

_Chopper shifted into Kung Fu Point, and Usopp aimed a Firebird Star at the four hunters._

_"Actually, that wasn't our original intention," Vaughan confessed, loading ammo into one of his pistols. _

_"Yes," Yari said as she adjusted her umbrella and slapped Runo upside the head. "We are only here because _someone_ steered our ship directly into a super current!"_

"Oh, _her_," Roronoa groaned.

"Wait, was she the swordswoman you fought before Vaughan tranquilized you?" Nami asked.

"Unfortunately," Roronoa answered with a scowl. "She was ridiculously fast- almost as fast as Brook- and skilled. Fighting her wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for her-" He froze and slapped his forehead. "_Crap_! What heck is wrong with me?!"

"You're navigationally dysfunctional, you have moss for hair, you do nothing but sleep all day..." Sanji rattled off.

"Put a sock in it, Dartboard!" Roronoa snapped. "That's not what I'm talking about! I forgot to warn Brook and the others about this Yari chick's devil fruit powers!"

"She has devil fruit powers?" Lysopp asked. "She didn't exhibit any when I followed her and her comrades around. She does have Haki though..."

"Haki?" Sanji asked. "What's that?"

"One thing at a time, Sanji," Nami interjected. Sanji cooed his obedience to Nami as she turned to Roronoa. "What are her powers?"

Roronoa's hand went to his wounded shoulder. "She called herself a 'sensation woman.' She was somehow able to intensify my sensitivity to pain." He ran a thumb over the small bandage that was still on his forehead from when Chopper first found him. "This one cut on my head felt like a spike was being driven through my skull."

"It sounds to me she can manipulate nociceptors," Tony said knowledgeably. "They're the nerves that usually register pain, but if she calls herself a sensation woman, she might not be limited to just that. Either way, it sounds like a horrible ability."

"It also doesn't help that she's a freaking _sadist_," Roronoa growled. He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Can't believe I forgot to to warn them..."

"Maybe they won't run into her?" Chopper said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe," the swordsman sighed. He turned to the sniper. "You can continue now."

"Thank you," Lysopp said with mild irritation. He placed his hand under his chin. "Now, where was I... ah yes, Yari had said-"

_She adjusted her umbrella and slapped Runo upside the head. "We are only here because _someone_ steered our ship directly into a super current!"_

_Runo rolled his eyes and grinned wickedly. "I warned Boss that I wasn't a helmsman. Not my fault he didn't listen."_

_Vaughan snapped the barrel of his gun shut. "Not remotely important. Basically, we have orders to scout the island, so we really don't have time to deal with you right now."_

_"You really expect us to believe that a group of bounty hunters is just going to let a group of bountied pirates go?" Sanji asked with light amusement. _

_"Easy there, Sanji!" Nami said with a pleading tone. "If bounty hunters want to leave us alone for once, who are we to question them?"_

_"Yeah, can't we all just get along?" Usopp added._

_"What happened to that confident man who took down Fishmen in Gyoncorde Plaza?" Sanji asked the sniper, lighting a fresh cigarette._

_"That man wants to avoid a fight if possible!"_

_The bounty hunters looked upon the pirates with renewed interest._

_"Too late," Chopper whimpered._

_"Bounties, huh?" Erity said, resting a hand on the gauntlets tied around her waist. _She was wearing a high-collared leather jacket over her cheongsam. _"Yari, you're our wanted list guru. You recognize them from the Straw Hat file?"_

_Yari nodded curtly. "I do."_

_She pointed a delicate gloved finger at Nami. "'Cat Burglar' Nami."_

_Nami swallowed thickly, but stood ready to fight if necessary._

_Next was Chopper. "'Cotton Candy Lover' Tony Tony Chopper."_

_Chopper growled. Why did the government have to give him such a stupid epithet?_

_She lingered for a moment on Usopp. "Hmmm... I think he might be 'King of the Snipers' Sniper King, but without the mask, I cannot really tell. Besides, he reeks of cowardice, so that make me even more unsure."_

_Usopp scowled. What a snob._

_Yari barely even glanced at Sanji. "He is not recognizable from any poster I have seen. Ignore him, and the coward as well if you wish."_

_Her total disregard for his identity was like an arrow piercing his heart. Sanji fell to the ground clutching his chest. "So cold!"_

_"Sanji!" Chopper cried out worriedly. "Are you alright?!"_

_"Such cold beauty and unbreakable indifference," Sanji whispered. He stood up, hearts in his eyes. "Amazing! I must the know the name of the woman whose frozen heart I will melt!"_

_Nami, Chopper, and Usopp fell over at Sanji's exuberant display. Did he have to choose_ now_ to act like a lovesick moron? Especially to the_ enemy_?_

_Yari looked extremely disturbed by Sanji's words._

_"If you want to date her, that's fine," Runo said with humor. "But I'll warn you now, she only goes out with masochists!"_

_"Runo!" Yari gasped indignantly. _

_"What? It's true and you know it. I once found a whip in your cabin on the ship."_

_"Runo! I am a proper, pure lady who is not into that kind of thing!"_

_"But what about that time on Visigoth Island-"_

_"Baba Runo, shut up! We agreed that never happened!"_

_"And that time with the guy-"_

"Uh, Lysopp?" Tony interrupted. "Can we skip the rest of that part of the conversation? Hearing it the first time was bad enough."

Lysopp glanced around the campfire. Maybe Tony had a point. Nami looked scandalized, Roronoa looked disgusted, Chopper looked confused, and Sanji had a dreamy look on his face.

"Wow," the cook sighed. "This Yari sounds like such a confident woman."

"Snap out of it, Sanji!" Nami hollered, shaking the blond by his shirt collar. "You do _not_ want that kind of woman in your life!"

"I don't get it," Chopper said. "What does a whip have to do with-"

"Hurry up and continue, Lysopp!" Roronoa commanded.

"Yes, hurry!" Tony echoed.

Lysopp flinched. "Okay, sorry!"

_"You be quiet, cretin!" Yari ordered Sanji. "I will not be flirted with by some no-name pirate!"_

_"He's not a no-name pirate," Erity disagreed._

_The bounty hunters looked at her in surprise._

_"He's actually 'Black Leg' Sanji," the mohawked woman continued. "His poster looks nothing like him is all; bringing it up is actually a good way to make him furious."_

_"Duly noted," Vaughan said._

_The Straw Hats were a little dumbfounded. Erity spoke with such amity about Sanji... as if they were close personal friends instead of enemies on different sides of the law. _

_"Sanji... do you know this woman?" Nami asked._

_Sanji stared long and hard at Erity. He frowned, looking properly baffled._

_Nami poked the chef's arm. "Sanji?"_

_"What's wrong? Do you recognize her?" Chopper asked. _

_"I don't why..." Sanji said at last. "...but whenever I look at this gorgeous woman... I feel nothing but complete and utter disgust!"  
><em>

_The other three pirates looked at the cook as if he had just spontaneously combusted. "EHHHH?!_

_"Yes! She's beautiful, but just looking at her makes me want to bleach my eyes!" Sanji grit his teeth and pointed at Erity. "Who the hell are you, lady?! Why am I feeling this way?!"_

"Please don't tell me my future self actually spoke that way to a woman!" Sanji shouted incredulously.

"Okay, I'm never going to get through this story if you all keep interrupting!" Lysopp pointed out. "Save all questions until the end!"

_"Geez, you really don't recognize me, do you?" Erity shook her head. "That's to be expected. I do look a lot different since the last time we met... Sanji-lolly."_

_Sanji looked like he'd just been electrocuted. No way..._

_Usopp raised an eyebrow. "Sanji-_lolly_?"_

_"I call him that because his eyebrow reminds me of one of those curly lollipops!" Erity explained. "Clever, huh?"_

_"Brilliant," Vaughan said in deadpan._

_"Shut up, no one asked you."_

_"No..." Sanji whispered. "It couldn't be..."_

_"Sanji! Who is this lady?!" Nami demanded to know._

_"Yeah, who is this lady?!" Chopper echoed. _

_"If I'm correct..." Sanji's expression darkened. "_She's no lady_."_

_You could practically see the question marks over the other three Straw Hats' heads. How could she not be a lady?_

_"As entertaining as this has been, we still have orders to scout this island," Vaughan interceded. "Forget the Straw Hats for now. We can go after them after we see if this is the island Boss has been looking for."_

_"But I want to tease Sanji some more!" Erity whined._

_"Quit whining, it is unbecoming of a woman," Yari said primly. "I am with Vaughan. We need to get going; Carrion is not exactly renowned for his patience."_

_"You guys can go ahead," Runo offered. "I'll stay here and... _play_ with the Straw Hats while you keep looking around."_

_Yari nodded, as if this were a sensible idea, but Erity and Vaughan gave Runo distasteful expressions. The latter two heaved long-suffering sighs then turned on their heels to run back the way they came. Yari closed her umbrella and followed._

_"Hey, get back here!" Sanji shouted, most likely to Erity. He began to give chase._

_Runo stepped in his way._

_"Out of my way!" Sanji kicked out his leg._

_Runo smirked and a flare of color suddenly erupted around his being. Sanji hesitated, entranced by the bright display. Runo used the moment to completely bypass the kick and deliver a palm thrust to Sanji's chin, snapping the chef's head backward. Then he finished the move with a crescent kick to the side of Sanji's face that sent the chef flying into a tree. _

_"Sanji!" Nami shrieked._

_"_Fire Bird Star_!" Usopp called out._

_Runo's smirk widened as he jumped into the air to avoid the attack. As he came down, he pulled back his fist and..._

"... he punched me in the face," Lysopp finished with a shrug. "I went down and the next thing I know, I'm waking up alone in the woods at night. I found Tony's bag lying in the dirt and I wandered around for awhile until I found the hunters with their Boss and other lackeys. My crew's Nami, Sanji, and Tony were with them, but they had glassy, blank eyes and weren't trying to escape or anything. They eventually split up and I followed Erity, Yari, and Runo around with the men they took with them, hindering their progress as much as I could. Maybe I should have followed the group that Tony and the others went with, but if there's one thing I've learned in the past, my solo attempts to storm the castle never end well. I figured I would eventually find the rest of my crew. So I followed them around, lost track of them for awhile, Erity found me, I made a strategic retreat and hit her with the occasional Green Star, and eventually found your guys' Nami. And here we are."

"Wow," Sanji said. "I can't believe it."

Lysopp thumbed his nose proudly. "Impressed by my mad story-telling skills, Sanji?"

"No," the cook replied bluntly. "I can't believe you managed to tell that entire story without once trying to make yourself look like the star of the whole thing."

"HEY!"

"Tony, what happened after Lysopp got knocked out?" Chopper asked.

"Not a lot," Tony admitted. "Our Sanji got back up and we fought some more. We all tried to attack at once, but he kept curbing our attacks by distracting us with those weird colors. I must have lost my bag at some point during the fight. Then we somehow made it to the beach and fought some more, which is probably when Nami lost her log pose. After he avoided Nami's Gust Sword by throwing off her aim, he said he was bored and he decided we'd be good toys. He started making these jerky movements and the colors got brighter..." Tony lowered his gaze in shame. "That's the last thing I remember before waking up to see Lysopp and Roronoa."

Tony began to tear up. "Lysopp, I'm sorry we abandoned you in the jungle- Sanji said we could come back for you later! I'm sorry I got captured! And everyone, I'm sorry I went into Monster Point and attacked you! I trained these two years so that_ wouldn't_ happen again, and I'm so sorry-!"

"Chopper, get a hold of yourself!" Chopper shouted out of nowhere, using his older self's real name to get his attention.

Tony stopped crying. Everyone else looked at Chopper with interest.

"You're older than me and are supposed to be a man, so stop crying!" Chopper continued to scold. "Lysopp said Monster Point is the only form you need a Rumble Ball for in the future. Is that true?"

Tony nodded slowly.

"That means usually you can control it. Me? I can't do that, and the only thing I _can_ do with that form is hurt people! I'm_ afraid_ of that form and I promised Doctorine I would never go down that path! But you did... and you can control it now and help the crew, like a real pirate. That's... that's a good thing! Don't let this one incident ruin all you've accomplished! It wasn't even your fault; you were hypnotized! So... so... so_ man up_!"

Chopper stood there a moment, panting heavily from his outburst. The rest of the group was left speechless.

"... Okay, definitely won't call you the emergency food supply anymore," Sanji mumbled, breaking the silence.

Tony smiled and giggled. "Sanji, Lysopp is supposed to be the liar."

That got a laugh from Nami, Lysopp (who looked insulted a second later), Sanji, and even Chopper. Roronoa just gave the younger reindeer a half-smile.

It was amazing really. The younger Chopper had only been a Straw Hat for a few days, and here he was telling the more experienced version off. But what needed to be said had been said, and that was the end of that. Tony apologized for losing his head, and the group moved on to next vital topic- Lysopp and Tony's stories.

"It sounds to me that this Runo guy is our hypnotist," Nami said. The name sounded familiar to her... but she shook off the feeling and shivered. "If he is, he's on a whole other level than that weirdo from Kuro's crew."

"Did he really hypnotize a guy into killing himself?" Tony asked in horror. If he were capable of moving, he would have been clutching Roronoa in fear.

"He did. Tattoos pulled out a gun and offed himself like it was nothing," Sanji replied, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Lysopp! Sanji's emulating Robin!" Tony cried out.

"But he hasn't even met her yet!" Lysopp cried out as well.

"I suppose somebody has to make the morbid comments without her around," Roronoa observed casually.

Nami was really beginning to dread meeting this 'Robin.' "So!" she broke in chipperly. "If we see a feral-looking freak who can make colors appear out of thin air, we know to avoid him. What else we got?"

"Going off what Lysopp and our future selves talked about, they seem to vaguely remember coming here," Sanji said. "That reinforces the idea that history hasn't changed, we just forget we ever came here."

"I'll admit, this whole place is _really_ familiar," Lysopp added. "But it's hazy, like it's on the very edge of my memory. No matter how hard I try, I just can't remember."

"That's how it is for me," Tony agreed.

Roronoa crossed his arms. "I don't remember this place at all."

"Didn't Lysopp say you only remember what you want to remember?" Chopper asked.

Roronoa shot him a dirty look, and the reindeer hid behind Nami.

Nami sighed tiredly. "This is going nowhere. We've all been running a lot today, so how about we get some sleep and continue discussing this in the morning?... Whenever that is anyway."

"Excellent idea, Nami my swan!" Sanji agreed wholeheartedly. "I'll take first watch if you want!"

"_I'll_ take first watch, cook," Roronoa said, standing up and laying Tony on the blanket next to Luffy. "If another bounty hunter_ does_ show up, you won't be able to fight them."

Sanji tried to argue, but Nami and Lysopp snapped at him to just go along with it. Nami curled up with Chopper, Lysopp laid down against one of the trees Tony knocked over earlier, and Sanji situated himself on the side of the campfire opposite of Nami- glaring at Chopper with envy.

One by one they all fell asleep, save for Roronoa, who actually stayed awake. He hadn't mentioned it before (not wanting Nami, Lysopp, and the Choppers to freak out as they were prone to do), but there was one thing about this island that did feel familiar. This one constant, nagging feeling he kept having...

Roronoa looked up into the tree branch-blocked sky.

He frowned in suspicion. _It's like we're being watched_.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Roughly half an hour before sunrise<strong>  
><strong>Location: Jungle on the edge of <strong>Kāla's <strong>southwestern beach**

"Go on, say it," Runo said proudly, pushing a bush out of his path. "I'm a genius."

"This the fifth time you've told us to say that since we reentered the jungle," Vaughan said, uninterested. "And how many times have we said it in that time period?"

"None, but a guy can hope, right? Come on, just say it! I had a genius plan, and you two are impressed!"

"I wouldn't say that even if you paid me the bounties of Monkey D. Dragon and his son _combined_," Erity said with a snarl. She yanked on one of her shoes. "Not after you made us_ walk_ for two hours trying find that stupid ship. My feet are _killing_ me."

Vaughan rolled his eyes. "That's what you get for wearing impractical footwear."

"My shoes are perfectly practical for what I do!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"I hate you."

"I can live with that."

"Are you guys flirting?" Runo asked teasingly. "Yeah, you're so flirting. Go right on ahead, I'll just keep reveling in my own brilliance."

"I don't date younger men," Erity said with a mean smile.

"I don't date old hags," Vaughan retorted with the same smile.

"I'M ONLY THREE YEARS OLDER THAN YOU!"

"By that math, that makes you _thirty_."

"I'M STILL TWENTY NINE!"

"Looks like Carrion isn't the only one with issues," Runo snickered. He was clearly in a much better mood than before. "Man, a psychiatrist would make a killing off of-"

Vaughan, without warning, slapped a hand over Runo's mouth. "Wait, shut up for a second."

The trio stood in silence as Vaughan closed his eyes and concentrated. After a couple minutes, the sniper/swordsman opened his eyes.

"About 20 voices just went silent- unconscious, not dead," Vaughan announced. He then wrinkled his nose and ripped his hand away from Runo's mouth. He glared at the violet-haired man. "Did you just_ lick_ my hand?"

"Maybe," Runo answered childishly. "And what are you talking about? I don't hear anything. Stupid Kenbunshoku Haki's been muted since we got to this stupid island, remember?"

"Obviously, unlike me, you haven't worked your way around it yet," Vaughan mused. He broke into a brisk sprint and motioned the other two to follow. "Just come on and follow me!"

Erity and Runo looked at each other, shrugged, then chased after Vaughan. They ran for about five minutes before finding themselves back on the beach, where they were treated to a very unexpected sight. Scattered along the beach, floating in the water, and even thrown into the very edge of the jungle trees that met beach were the members of the Carrion Bounty Hunters. Many them were cut up or had burns, and every single one was unconscious. There was no sign of an enemy having been there... aside from the unconscious lackeys, anyway. The trio walked out onto the beach.

"Yeesh, what the hell happened here?" Vaughan asked. "It's like someone threw a party and forgot to invite us."

Erity toed one of the men. He grunted but didn't wake, so at least this meant he and the others weren't dead. She reached down and checked the badge on his shirt.

"This is Theta Unit," Erity confirmed, standing back up. "Carrion told them to quit searching long enough to salvage the Silverback. Yari went to go supervise when she caught the message on her baby Den Den. She called me right before we found that ship though- she said she took half of Theta to look for the Straw Hats while the rest continued salvaging."

Vaughan looked up and down the beach. "I don't see her now."

Runo reached down and picked something up that had washed ashore. It was the sheathe of Yari's shikomizue- the part that formed the actual parasol. That meant she had been here before, even if she wasn't now. He stood up and scanned the beach... until his eyes caught something floating in the water.

His heart skipped a couple beats and he pointed out towards the sea. "Uh, guys...?"

Vaughan and Erity glanced to where Runo was pointing... to see the remains of a purple top hat floating in the water.

Erity went blue in the face. "You don't think...?"

Apparently he did think, because Runo immediately tried to dive into the water.

"HOLD ON BABY SIS, I'M COMING!"

Before he could leap into the sea, Vaughan tackled him into the pink sand.

"LET ME GO, VAMP!" Runo hollered, throwing Vaughan off with ease. "I HAVE TO SAVE MY SISTER!"

"Runo, you're a devil fruit user!" Vaughan snapped back, jumping to his feet and poking Runo's chest with each following word. "You. Can't. Swim!"

"Oh yeah." Runo pondered the predicament. "Okay then, you save her!"

"I can't swim either."

"Oh... then who's supposed to save Yari?"

The two men paused to think... then glanced over at Erity. The blonde woman grimaced.

"Do I_ have_ to?" she asked, as if they were asking her to do something menial and boring.

"_Erity..._" Vaughan said in a warning tone.

Erity sighed. "Fine, but I'm not giving her CPR!"

She jogged across the beach and dove into the water with a splash.

Runo turned to Vaughan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."

"_What_?" Vaughan said with revulsion. "Why do I have to give her mouth-to-mouth?! Why can't you do it?"

"Dude, she's my sister."

"So?"

"I don't need those kinds of nightmares."

Vaughan threw his arms up into the air and and looked away from the Hypno Hypno Fruit user. He then sat down and crossed his arms- they could make him resuscitate Yari but they couldn't keep him from pouting about it.

While Vaughan moped about his upcoming traumatic experience, Runo looked around the beach once more, then smiled to himself. He had a feeling as to who had done the damage.

He so loved it when a plan all came together.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: A little more than an hour after sunrise<strong>  
><strong>Location: The jungle... as to where, your guess is as good as Nami's.<strong>

_Sunlight streamed through the impossibly tall trees. All around him were the remains of buildings, broken or burned. There was a battle here recently. The grass was sticky and wet, and for some reason, bubbles floated around everywhere._

_Luffy looked around. What was he doing here? He didn't remember ever coming to some bubble island. Hadn't he been fighting that vampire guy? Why was he all alone? Where was everyone else?_

_"So you survived, Roronoa."_

_Roronoa? Luffy turned in the direction of the cold, emotionless voice that had just spoken. The speaker was an extremely tall... bear? Man? Man-bear? Yeah, man-bear. The speaker was an extremely tall man-bear wearing gloves and carrying a book. The man-bear was standing in front of another man. The other man had green hair, so Luffy assumed that was Zoro. It was hard to tell, since his back was to him. If it _was_ Zoro, he didn't look too good. His whole body was shaking, he was bleeding all over, and he clutched his shoulder in agony._

_Luffy's eyes narrowed and his teeth bared. Who had hurt his crewmate like this? They were going to pay!_

_Usopp was sitting on the ground next to Zoro. He was carrying a big green slingshot that looked really cool. He was reaching up towards Zoro and his lips were moving, but Luffy was too far away to make out what he was saying._

_Luffy glared at the man-bear. He didn't know who he was, but he somehow knew this guy was the enemy. He tried to run over to his crewmates, but found he couldn't move his body. He tried to call out to them, but his voice didn't work either. It was just like his Ace dream; he wasn't in control of his body._

_The man-bear peeled off one of his gloves, revealing paw-pads on his hand._

_"If you were to go on vacation," the man-bear said. "Where would you like to go?"_

_Zoro never had time to answer. The man-bear swiped at him with the padded hand, and the swordsman vanished._

_**Pop.**_

_Luffy's eyes widened. What had... what had just happened? Where did Zoro go? He was... he was right there!_

_Luffy tried to call out his name, but sound refused to come from his mouth. Even if he could say anything, he would have been interrupted by a sudden loud roar. He looked up to see a monstrous arm swinging down towards him. The arm was attached to a giant horned creature that looked familiar to him, though he wasn't sure why._

_Luffy tried to move out of the way, but his body was still frozen. Luckily, someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him out of harm's way before he could be hit. His rescuer was a dark-haired lady... wait, was that Miss All Sunday? What was she doing here, and why did she save him? She also appeared to be shouting, but her words weren't coming out either. Was the whole dream on mute except for the man-bear and the horned monster?_

_Luffy turned back to the man-bear. He was now approaching Usopp... and Sanji, who was on the ground and appeared to be injured as well. Usopp was trying to get Sanji on his feet, but the cook was struggling. The man-bear got closer and closer._

_Luffy cursed inwardly. Why couldn't he move, dammit?! The man-bear was going to send more of his crew away!_

_As the man-bear reached for his crewmates, Brook jumped in front of them and spread out his arms. He disappeared instead._

_**Pop.**_

_The man-bear was in front of Usopp now. Luffy could tell the sniper was scared dead out of his mind. Usopp frantically fired with his big green slingshot, but it was no use. Down the pawed hand went._

_**Pop.**_

_Sanji gave a silent, enraged scream. He charged at the man-bear._

_**Pop.**_

_A weird man with really big forearms tried to attack the man-bear._

_**Pop.**_

_The man-bear was now heading for Nami. She reached out towards Luffy, her lips silently forming his name._

_**Pop.**_

_The giant horned creature from before came at the pawed man, roaring in rage._

_**Pop.**_

_The only one left was Miss All Sunday. She tried to run, but the man-bear easily caught up. All of sudden, Luffy could move, but not on his own accord. It was moving on its own, reaching for the Baroque Works leader. The woman who had killed the funny tube-haired guy and was helping Crocodile take over Vivi's country... looked at him pleadingly. All Sunday reached out to him just as Nami had, and to his surprise, he didn't mind reaching out to take her hand._

_It was useless though._

_**Pop.**_

_Luffy fell to the ground, gasping for each breath as if it would be his last. This didn't happen. Someone had to tell him this didn't just happen. Somebody had to tell him his crew wasn't just gone. Where were Chopper, Vivi, and Carue? What about Miss All Sunday? Why did she help him and reach out to him?_

_This was... this wasn't happening! He could not lose his crew like this! Their journey had barely started; they still had to beat up Crocodile and sail the Grand Line and find the One Piece. They couldn't be gone! It wasn't possible!_

_"I couldn't save..." he heard himself say (now he could talk?), hot tears running down his face, "... a single one of my friends!"_

_Luffy felt someone standing over him, and he looked up. It was the man-bear, but this time, Luffy somehow knew his name._

_"K-K-Ku... m-m-ma," he stuttered, this time speaking on his own._

_Kuma stared down at him coldly. "You will never see them again."_

_He raised his hand._

_"Farewell."_

_The hand came down._

_**Pop.**_

"NO!"

"Ack! Luffy-!"

Luffy pinwheeled his arms and fell to the ground, dragging the person who he'd been riding piggy-back down with him.

"Luffy, you're awake!" Nami's voice exclaimed.

"Luffy's up?" Usopp's voice asked. "About time!"

"Crappy rubber head, making us worry," Sanji's voice scoffed, but he sounded relieved as well.

"Luffy, take it easy!" Chopper squealed reprimandingly.

"Be careful, you're still injured!" Chopper spoke again. Had those two sentences overlapped?

Luffy opened his eyes. He wasn't on the bubble island- he was back in the jungle of the Mystery Island. The bear man- Kuma- was nowhere to be seen either. He sat up and noticed his body was wrapped in white bandages. He was about to ask what was going on when someone stuck Hat in his face.

"Here." It was Roronoa. He'd also been the one giving Luffy a piggy-back ride.

Luffy glanced from Roronoa, to Hat, then back to Roronoa.

"'Bout time you woke up," the swordsman grunted. "Sun's been up for a couple hours now. We figured we'd try to meet back up with Brook and the others, so we- WHOA!"

Roronoa cut himself off, for Luffy had thrown his rubbery arms around his waist and pulled him into a tight hug, all but burying his face into the swordsman's chest. Its force was enough to make Roronoa drop his captain's precious hat.

"What the hell, Luffy?! Let go of me!" Roronoa shouted, trying to remove his captain from his person. Roronoa Zoro was many things, but a hugger was not one of them. However, he stopped pushing and protesting when he noticed Luffy's shaking form. "Oi, Luffy? You okay? What's wrong?"

The rest of the group walked up to the pair on the ground to see what the problem was, and were struck dumb at the sight of their shaking captain.

"Luffy...?" Nami began to say, reaching out for him.

Sanji grabbed her hand before she could, shaking his head. The message was clear: _let Mosshead handle this_.

Roronoa shook Luffy's shoulder. "Luffy? I asked if you were okay."

Luffy pushed himself off Roronoa, cursing inwardly. He couldn't believe he just did that! He must have looked like a childish weakling! He furiously rubbed the back of his hand along his eyes, trying to stop the tears that threatened to form. Hugging a person after having a nightmare... he hadn't done that since he was a little kid, and the person who got hugged was usually his brother. Ace never minded, but what about Roronoa?

Luffy looked up at the swordsman's face. He didn't look angry or annoyed (at least, not anymore), only concerned.

"It's nothing," Luffy said at last. "Just a bad dream."

Roronoa crossed his arms. "Want to talk about it?"

Luffy shook his head, not looking Roronoa in the eye. "No, it's fine. Just... just say none of you will ever disappear, alright?"

The concerned expression on the swordsman's face melted into a stricken one. It was as if that of all the things Luffy could have asked of him, that was the_ one thing_ he hadn't wanted to hear. Tony and Lysopp had similar expressions. All three carried a guilty light in their eyes that did not go unnoticed by Nami and Sanji. Chopper was too busy fussing over Luffy's injuries to really notice.

"You are really are a moron," Lysopp broke in with a heavy sigh.

Before Luffy could respond to that, Lysopp reached down and jammed Hat back on the rubbery boy's head. "Of course we'll never just 'disappear,' so don't go asking stupid things like that."

Luffy stared at his sniper for a moment, then adjusted his hat and grinned. "Yosh."

Chopper went into Heavy Point and helped his captain stand back up, and Tony did the same for Roronoa.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're finally up, Luffy," Lysopp continued. "That vampire guy really did a number on you, huh?"

Luffy stared at the longnosed man with a blank expression.

"... Why are you staring at me like that?"

"... USOPP! WHEN DID YOU GET ALL _MANLY_?!"

"_SERIOUSLY?!_"

That did it. Nami broke into peals of laughter, and Sanji choked on a chortle of his own.

Luffy turned and waved his arms at Chopper and Tony as the reindeer returned to their smaller forms. "AND WHY ARE THERE TWO OF CHOPPER?!"

Roronoa rolled his eye. "Here we go again..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>One dumbed-down explanation later...<strong>_

"Shishishi, I get it now!" Luffy laughed, now walking alongside his comrades and eating his bento at the same time. "You guys are from the future, just like Zoro-ossan!"

"Yeah, only we're calling them Lysopp and Tony," Sanji said, "Instead of Usopp and Chopper."

"Usopp-ossan and Chopper-ossan!" Luffy decided.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD-" Lysopp began to protest, before slumping in defeat. "- oh, forget it."

"We'd have more luck stopping the tides then getting Luffy to change his mind," Tony agreed in the the same defeated way.

Chopper looked at his older self in fear. That tone was so dejected- just what was Luffy going to put him through in the next few years?

"While we're asking things, mind telling us what happened with you and Vaughan?" Nami inquired. "You were beat up pretty badly."

Luffy swallowed the last of his food, tossed the box to Sanji, crossed his arms, and cocked his head the side. "... Who's Vaughan?"

The navigator rolled her eyes. "The vampire guy."

"Oh, him!" Luffy said, tapping his fist into his hand as he remembered. He frowned. "That guy cheated. He was able to shoot me and made blood do weird stuff. I almost had him, but then he made my head all heavy and I passed out!"

"Your head is already heavy with rocks," Roronoa pointed out in deadpan. "How could that red-eyed freak make it any heavier?"

"I think what Luffy means is that Vaughan made all the blood go to his head," Chopper theorized. "I remember Erity asking him if he got bored and did that, and he said yes."

Sanji considered the doctor's words. "Hmm... so it's like when you hang upside down too long and you pass out from the head rush. I used to have that problem when I was first learning how to do my handstands."

"Really?" Chopper asked curiously.

"I don't care what it is, it was still cheating!" Luffy huffed. "He cut our fight short and we didn't even get to finish it! I'll get him him next time though!"

"Luffy, I don't think that's a good idea," Tony said, shaking his head.

"Huh? Why not?"

Roronoa stopped walking and shot Luffy an angry glare. "Because when I agreed to let you help me search for my crew, you agreed not to fight anyone without my saying so or unless you absolutely had to."

Everyone else stopped walking as Roronoa did.

"I did have to!" Luffy argued. "He could've stopped your heart with those sleepy darts! Chopper said so!"

"Revenge is _not_ a good reason to fight, Luffy!"

"But what about that time in Water 7-" Tony began to say.

Roronoa shushed him. "Shush! That was different!" He turned back to Luffy. "Nevertheless, you still went against our deal, and now look at you! If Vaughan hadn't returned the blood to your body, you would have died!"

No one made an attempt to argue with him this time, for they all knew for better or worse he was right, even Sanji. They all remained silent and watched the exchange progress.

Luffy ran his fingers over the bandages covering his torso, shoulders, and arms. There was very little of his body that wasn't wrapped in medical gauze. Had he really been that close to death?

He looked back up at Roronoa. "But Zoro-ossan, I-"

"No buts," Roronoa cut him off. "Next time we see that blood-controlling weirdo, I'm handling him. Got it?"

"But I-"

"_Got it_, Captain?"

Luffy knit his eyebrows, but stiffly nodded.

"Look, I'm not condemning what you did completely. It would make me a hypocrite if I was," Roronoa said, tiredly running a hand through his hair. "You just can't afford to rush into things without thinking, at least not while we're on this island. Alright?"

Chopper really wanted to tell Luffy that Roronoa had spoken similar words to him earlier, but the swordsman had warned that would not be a good idea. He instead remained quiet but sent Luffy good thoughts.

Luffy finally nodded again, but considerably less stiffly.

Satisfied, Roronoa turned back around and returned to walking, as did everyone else. However, the tension hadn't left completely, obvious by the way no one spoke up or made any attempts to converse. They simply let Nami lead them, but the navigator often grumbled to herself and made them change direction. This went on for about fifteen minutes until Luffy couldn't stand the quiet any longer, and he decided it was safe to talk.

Luffy looked glanced around the jungle. "So, where are we now? Zoro-ossan said we're trying to get back to Vivi and the others, didn't he?"

"He did," Lysopp replied. "But we're having a little trouble."

"Trouble?"

Nami crumpled up a piece of paper she had been writing on and threw it on the ground. "I have no idea where the heck we are!"

"What?!" Luffy shouted. He looked terrified. "But you're the navigator! It's your job to know where we are!"

"Hey, don't blame Nami!" Sanji shouted back. "She's doing the best she can!"

"I'm trying to make sense of our location, but with all the random running around we've been doing, I've completely lost our original path!" Nami gestured to the jungle around them. "And every time I try to go back the way we came, it's like the terrain has changed shape. Trees that weren't there before are there, or bushes and vines block the way! I swear, this island's foliage is conspiring to get us all lost!"

Roronoa scoffed. "You're making it sound like the island's alive or something."

Wrong thing to say on his part.

"THE ISLAND'S ALIVE?!" Chopper and Tony screamed in unison.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW COMING HERE WAS A BAD IDEA!" Lysopp shrieked in terror.

"Ha! I knew it was a mystery island!" Luffy yelled triumphantly.

"SHUT UP, THE ISLAND'S NOT ALIVE!" Nami hollered, bonking the four boys on their heads.

Luffy, Lysopp, Chopper, and Tony fell to the ground, nursing large lumps on their heads. By this point everyone had stopped walking either because they were in the aforementioned group and had been knocked to the jungle floor, or they were Roronoa and Sanji, who had halted to wait for Nami to work out her irritation.

The red-haired young woman groaned and slumped to knees. "The island better _not_ be alive. I don't think my sanity could take it if it was."

"If it_ is_ alive and it's goal is to drive us all bonkers, it's doing one heck of a job," Sanji said, stubbing out a cigarette then replacing it with a fresh one. Then he knelt down and patted Nami comfortingly on the shoulder. "Just remain strong, Nami-swan. We'll figure it out."

"I don't know if I _can_. This island has already thrown so much at us," Nami said miserably. "Time travel, bounty hunters, disembodied voices, rainbow fog, moving terrain-"

"Hold it," Lysopp interjected. He stood up. "Nami, could you say that again for me?"

Sanji helped the navigator stand up, after which she gave the sniper a confused look. "Umm... disembodied voices?"

Lysopp shook his head. "No, after that."

"Moving terrain?"

Lysopp slapped his forehead then held his hands out in front of him. "The one in the the _middle_."**[6]**

"The rainbow fog?" Nami guessed.

"That's it!" He walked over to Nami and placed an arm around her shoulders, much to Sanji's annoyance (Nami was too confused to care). "Tell me something, Nami. What exactly do you mean by 'rainbow fog?'"

Tony picked himself up from the ground. "Rainbow fog?"

"I guess we never mentioned it, huh?" Nami said. She started to explain. "When we first got stuck in the current, we got pulled into this thick fog surrounding the island- where we eventually heard the voices we told you about. It seemed to be normally colored fog at first, but then it quickly became filled with all sorts of different colors, like a rainbow."

Lysopp's eyes widened, then he groaned and stepped away from Nami, rubbing his temples. "Great. Just great."

"What's great?" Nami asked. "Lysopp, what do you know?"

"Only that I now have an idea as to where we are," Lysopp sighed. He turned to Tony. "Tony, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Tony crossed his little arms and nodded knowingly. "Rainbow Mist?"

Lysopp crossed his arms and nodded in the same knowing manner. "Rainbow Mist."**[7]**

The rest of the assembled pirates (Luffy and Chopper having already gotten up off the ground) gave the sniper and future reindeer similar questioning looks.

"What are you two babbling about?" Roronoa asked impatiently.

Lysopp placed a hand on Roronoa's good shoulder. "Roronoa, remember that island we visited right after Alabasta? Ruluka?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "The place with the moneylender and the goats?" **[8]**

"No, that was Goat Island," Tony informed him. "He means after that."

"Ruluka..." Roronoa sounded the name out. It suddenly came to him. "Oh yeah, the island with all the crazy taxes! That island sucked." His eyes widened, and he slapped his forehead. "Of course, the Rainbow Mist. Why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"Because your skull is full of algae instead of brains, unlike the rest of us?" Sanji suggested sincerely.

"At least it's not totally empty like yours, Ero-Cook!" Roronoa barked at him.

Sanji moved to fight him, but Nami punched his arm, making him back off only _somewhat_ reluctantly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Luffy asked. "What do goats and taxes have to do with anything?"

"They don't, actually," Lysopp admitted. "Sorry, Luffy, we're going to have to spoil a future adventure, but it's important."

"If it's important, then it's okay," Luffy assured him. "Just try not to give too much away."

"We'll do our best," Tony promised. "You see, not long after we left Alabasta, we came to this island called Ruluka. To make a long story short, while we were there, a few members of our crew accidentally entered a phenomenon called the Rainbow Mist. As the name implies, it's a rainbow-colored mist that appeared in front of the island."

"When we sailed through it, we entered a pocket dimension called Apes Concert," Lysopp continued. "It had no sense of time. We met a bunch of kids who got stuck in there forty years ago and hadn't aged a day!"

"FORTY YEARS?!" Nami, Sanji, Luffy, and Chopper exclaimed together.

"Are you saying we're in this Apes Concert place and forty years have already passed on the outside?!" Choppered yelled.

"No, it can't!" Nami yelled fearfully. "Vivi still needs to save her country! They can't wait forty years for her to show up!"

"Vivi-chan can't wait another forty years either!" Sanji agreed, teary from the thought of his poor princess's suffering.

"I waited ten years to start my journey!" Luffy shouted, tugging at his hat. "I can't wait another forty years to continue it! This sucks!"

"Would you all pipe down?!" Roronoa snapped at them. "The circumstances of how you got here may be similar, but I doubt this is actually Apes Concert!"

The Past Straw Hats stopped panicking and expectantly awaited further explanation.

"Roronoa's right," Lysopp said. "Apes Concert was a foggy ship graveyard where no light shone, not a tropical island where it can't decide to be night or day."

"Also, you said just a minute ago that the fog didn't start out as rainbow-colored, right?" Tony added. "It didn't turn rainbow for our crew at all. It was gray the whole way through."

"We're just saying the two events may be connected is all," Lysopp finished. "When I was following the hunters, I heard them call the island** '**Kāla.' You told me and Tony that you learned something about that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, Brook said there's a fairy tale about this island in the West Blue," Luffy replied. He made a pouty face. "He didn't tell it though. He said he didn't remember much about it except the island was stupid like Zoro and had treasure."

At the mention of treasure, Nami's eyes became berri signs. Oh, if only they could find that legendary treasure!

"What do you mean stupid like me?!" Roronoa demanded.

"He means the part about it being lost in time, Mosshead," Sanji clarified.

"I don't get lost! You guys just go places without telling me!"

"Is he always like this?" Chopper whispered to Nami.

"Yes, unfortunately," Nami replied in a dull tone.

"Hey, Roronoa, isn't Robin also from the West Blue?" Lysopp asked the swordsman, interrupting another possible argument with Sanji. "Think she might know anything about it?"

Roronoa turned away from Sanji and to the longnosed man. "She _does_ make a point of knowing about history and legends, and she did know about the Rainbow Mist the first time around. It's worth a shot."

"But we don't know where she is!" Tony reminded them. "She went off on her own after we weighed anchor!"

"Then let's go meet up with Brook and the others!" Luffy declared. "Then we can find this Robin lady! We're sure to find her with more people looking!"

"You mean I finally get to meet the elusive second female member?!" Sanji gasped excitedly. He twirled in a circle. "_Mellorine~_!"

Nami sweatdropped._ They've all forgotten we're completely lost, haven't they_?

Before Nami could remind them of their plight, there was a rustling in the bushes and trees.

Roronoa put a hand on one of his swords. "Someone's coming."

"Crap, is it the bounty hunters again?!" Lysopp yelled.

"I hope so! I owe Vampire Guy a Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy said, grabbing his shoulder and swinging his arm in a circle.

"Luffy, we agreed I'd handle him!" Roronoa scolded him.

"You should let him have one punch. He deserves that much," Sanji pointed out. "I'll even help you hold the bloodsucker down if you ask nicely."

"Screw you, Cook!"

Chopper sniffed the air, then ran in front of the group. "Stop everyone, it's okay! It's not the bounty hunters!"

Nami held up the broken halves of her bo-staff like escrima sticks. "Are you sure?"

Tony ran to his younger self's side. "He's sure, and I can confirm it! It's been awhile, but I know those scents anywhere!"

As soon as the reindeers made their announcement, something broke through the flora and stopped directly in front of the pirates. Save for the two doctors (and Roronoa- his eye just widened), everyone gasped. This person wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be on the Merry with Brook, Zoro, and Usopp.

"_Vivi?!_"

The princess was limp in Carue's saddle, covered in bandages and wearing different clothes then she was before. He face was pressed against the back of Carue's neck. The duck himself panted heavily, as if the forces of hell had been biting at his heels the entire way here.

"I'm sorry," Vivi mumbled into Carue's neck.

"Sorry?" Luffy echoed. He rushed over to her. "Sorry for what? What are you doing here? Where's Zoro and everyone else?"

Vivi lifted her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Her voice choked. "They told me... they told me to get away!"

Ice water ran into Luffy's veins. It was as if he had just fallen into the sea and couldn't move.

_"You will never see them again."_

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**200 Review Special- Omakes Galore #2! Stories include "Luffy's Adventures on Kāla #1", "Chronicles of Lone Wolf Vaughan #1", and so much more!**_

* * *

><p><strong>[1]<strong> This is a joke from _Frozen_. It's a lyric from the song all the trolls sing.  
><strong>[2]<strong> This joke I borrowed from _Big Bang Theory. _I don't remember which episode, but it was when Sheldon's mom visited.  
><strong>[3]<strong> Crona from_ Soul Eater_ can do this with his black blood, but unlike Vaughan, he is able to move while doing it. I never saw how that would work realistically speaking. His whole body should have locked up. I decided this was a good weakness to give Vaughan.  
><strong>[4]<strong> This is one of two names that is given to the treasure Carrion is obsessed with finding. If you go back to the first Omake special, Carrion refers to it as this in his bit.  
><strong>[5]<strong> The "Uso" part in Usopp's name means "lie" in Japanese, and "Lysop" is what they call Usopp in Germany.  
><strong>[6]<strong> I borrow a lot of jokes from other shows. I got this one from a running gag in _Danny Phantom_.  
><strong>[7]<strong> See the Rainbow Mist Filler Arc for further details.  
><strong>[8]<strong> See the Goat Island Filler Arc for details.


	19. 200 Review Special

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or it's characters; I only own my OCs.**

**Thank you again for being wonderful readers and giving me so many amazing reviews! It's makes me happy that my writing is making you happy!**

**Oh, and if any of you have accounts on TV Tropes, would you mind making a TV tropes page for this or at least recommend it? A little good publicity never hurts! **

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><p><span><strong>SBS 6!<strong>

**Chapter Question: _"Which non-Straw Hat protagonist is your favorite then?"_**

Hmm... that's a good one. It's a toss-up between Ace and Law. It used to be just Ace, but I have really come to adore Law over the course of the Dressrosa Arc. I think both him and Ace have really good back stories and both their powers are interesting. One of my favorite fights in the series is Ace vs Blackbeard, but Law's showdown with Vergo was pretty awesome too. I just can't decide!

* * *

><p><span><strong>200 Review Special: Omakes Galore #2! 5 Brand New Stories Relating to <em>Tomorrow's Romance Dawn<em>!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>1: Luffy's Adventures on Kāla #1 (of 2)<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Just after <em>Arrival at the Mystery Island: Future Redux<em>  
>Location: Waters next to <strong>Kāla's northwestern shore (coincidentally just a couple kilometers from where the Past Straw Hats would weigh anchor)<strong>**

"Gum Gum _Rocket_!"

"Luffy, wait-!"

Luffy couldn't wait though. As he rocketed from the Sunny with his usual zeal, all he could think about was the prospect of a new adventure. The last one hadn't been that much fun until the end, when he got his hat back from Z. This one was definitely going to be better, he could feel it!

The trip through the fog didn't take very long. Franky had taken the helm and very carefully steered the Sunny, as the fog made it difficult to see obstacles like rocks or reefs. They discovered there weren't any by the end, but still. Usopp had hyperventilated the entire time, while Robin made morbid comments about monsters possibly being in the mist. Naturally, Nami scolded her for saying such things. Brook had been unusually quiet during this time, until Chopper loudly suggested how a song would be nice right about now. Brook had delightedly complied by singing his new hit single, _Bone to Be Wild_. Sanji went into the galley to prep pirate lunchboxes, knowing Luffy would be asking for them soon enough (good thinking on his part- Luffy was sure to grab a few before rocketing off the Sunny). Zoro simply stood by the railing, keeping an eye out for the bounty hunters- how boring.

Luffy spent that time sitting on his Special Seat. He didn't know why, but he felt something was missing from this experience- like the fog was supposed to be doing something. Weird.

Once the Thousand Sunny exited the fog, to the crew's surprise the gray mass was now a whole kilometer behind the ship. Nami had been bewildered, as fog couldn't have possibly receded that fast. Luffy hadn't really cared. Mystery fog could do whatever it wanted. They sailed the Sunny a little closer to the island before they dropped anchor. Sanji had come out with bentos wrapped in cloth, Luffy had grabbed some, which finally led to the rubber captain rocketing to the jungle like...

... Well, as his crew would eventually put it, like a moron.

Luffy's arms quickly snapped to their regular length, causing the rubber boy to slam into the tree he originally latched on to. The impact left behind a deep crater in the trunk, courtesy of Luffy's hard head.

Luffy tumbled to the ground and laughed. "Shishishi, these trees are enormous! This is just like Skypiea but in the ocean instead of the sky!"

The straw hat-wearing young man laughed for a another minute, but stopped rather suddenly. He sat up and readjusted his hat. Something felt... off. He reached out with his Haki, only to discover he was having difficulty 'hearing.' No, that wasn't it. His 'hearing' wasn't the problem; something was muffling all other possible 'voices.'

It didn't feel like a beast, like Caribou had back in the Dragon Imperial Palace on Fishman Island. Whatever it was, it felt upset. Upset about the tree?

Luffy stood up, dusted off his clothes, then bowed to the tree. "Sorry about the tree. I'll be more careful."

The upset feeling immediately vanished. Whatever the presence had been, it was satisfied with the apology. Not giving it another thought, Luffy stopped bowing and examined his surroundings. The trees really were big, and had shiny leaves... now that he thought about it, the trees reminded him not just of Skypiea, but the forest back on Mt. Corvo. Maybe this jungle had big animals too?

... Luffy couldn't help but think that Ace would have loved this place.

He brushed his fingers against the scar on his chest briefly, then lept forward into the jungle. Well, since Ace wasn't here to see the jungle himself, Luffy would just have to do it for him.

* * *

><p>"YA-HOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy cried out as he swung from vine to vine.<p>

This jungle had everything! Vines to swing on, trees to jump between, weird animals, and loads of different fruit trees he could snack on so he didn't have to eat Sanji's bentos yet.

He came to a stop on one of the thick tree branches. He could practically see the entire island from up here! There were cool rock formations in the distance and even a big lake. Maybe the could get some freshwater fish while they were here. Even if they didn't, the lake still looked pretty awesome from up in the tree, especially with it reflecting the the red and gold sky-

Wait. Red and gold sky?

Luffy lifted the brim of his hat a little, to get a better view, and was given an extremely unexpected sight. The sun was hanging low on the horizon, and he could already see some stars in the sky.

Luffy was dumbfounded. He hadn't noticed the sun was setting, nor had he realized he'd been gone for so long already! He thought it had only been about an hour, but clearly he was wrong. He had to get back to the Sunny or he was going to miss dinner!

Luffy jumped to the jungle floor, ready to dash back to the shore so he could get his dinner, only to come to a secondary realization.

... He had absolutely no idea where he was.

Now the sun had completely set, casting the jungle into night. Luffy groaned. It was bad enough he was lost, now it was too dark to find his way back. He was going to miss dinner at this rate!

He glanced around the trees that surrounded him. There had be something here that could help him get at least an idea as to where he was or where he should go.

_**Creeeeaaaakkkk...**_

Luffy turned his head toward the sudden creaking noise. To his left was now a clear path through the trees, and he was fairly certain that path hadn't been there before.

"This way?" he asked aloud.

Wind rustled the leaves in the trees.

Luffy nodded. "Alright. This way it is."

Luffy turned and ran down the path the trees made for him. As for what waited for him at the end of that path... only time would tell.

Meanwhile, as Luffy took this mysterious trail through the jungle, a little girl ran from a red-eyed man and a mohawk lady, two swordsmen met near a fruit glade, and three pirates became living toys for a jelly-boned wild boy...

**What awaits Luffy at the end of his trail? Stay tuned!**

**A/N: Sorry this one was short. 3D2Y!Luffy's adventure is going to be a bit slow-going, I'm afraid. Hope you like what you read, though!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>2: Chronicles of Lone Wolf Vaughan #1 (of 2)<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: The Year 1522 AOP<strong>**, less than a month before the War of the Best  
><strong>**Location: Rip-Off Bar, Grove 13, Sabaody Archipelago**

"100,000 BERRIS FOR ONE LOUSY MUG OF BOOZE?! FORGET IT, LADY!"

Shakuyaku, known as Shakky to her friends, exhaled cigarette smoke before crossing her arms and answering. "Those are the prices here. You'll just have to accept it."

The incredibly foolish bar patron stood up forcefully, knocking over his glass. "There's no way I'm paying that much cash for that coffin varnish you call liquor! You're out of your mind!"

Shakky raised a manicured eyebrow. "Are you saying you're not going to pay your tab?"

The drunk drew his sword and grinned menacingly. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. What'cha gonna do about it?"

Shakky shrugged and stubbed out her cigarette. "Suit yourself."

However, before the idiotic bar-goer could learn exactly what Shakky was "gonna do about it," the sound of a gunshot rang through the bar. The man's eyes widened, then rolled into the back of his head as he fell face-first on to the counter.

Shakky blinked, then bent over and briefly examined the man she'd been about to beat into a pulp. A now empty tranquilizer dart was sticking out of the back of his neck.

"Another eventful day, Ms. Shakuyaku?"

Shakky looked up and smiled. "I don't recall asking for your help."

The young man standing in her doorway smirked. He was a young man with very pale skin, cropped black hair (with an odd lightning bolt shape shaved into the left side), and dark red eyes. He also had a curved scar on his cheek. He wore an open magenta-colored leather jacket that only covered his upper torso, a red t-shirt that revealed his naval, gray cargo pants tucked into black combat boots, and black fingerless gloves. Around his neck was a gold medallion engraved with the image of sideways eye, and in the crook of his arm was a dark cloak.

He also had a holster-belt around his waist which held one gun, the other gun being in his hand. Shakky knew better than to feel threatened though. This man was not explicitly her enemy.

The newcomer shrugged slipped the gun back into its holster. "My mother always told me it was good manners to do things without being asked first."

"Since when do you care about manners, Enoch-chan?" Shakky asked.

Vaughan smirked. "Since I entered the bar belonging to the scariest woman on Sabaody."

_"Blood King" Enoch Vaughan_

_Solo Bounty Hunter on Sabaody Archipelago_

_(Age: 25)_

Shakky's eyes followed Vaughan as he strolled up the counter, kicked the tranquilized customer to the ground, and took a seat. "Flatterer."

Vaughan shrugged again as he set down his cloak and the bag that had been slung over his shoulder. "Hey, whatever works, right?"

"Order something or get out," Shakky told him, her voice warmer than her words.

"Cheapest stuff you got then."

Shakky giggled as she got out a clean glass and the cheapest alcohol in her stock, which wasn't cheap in the slightest. She poured Vaughan his drink and watched him take a few sips.

"I haven't seen you around here lately," she said, cleaning up the glass the unconscious fool broke. "Is business good in Grove 3?"

"Nah, I was off the archipelago," Vaughan replied, draining his glass. "Owed a guy a favor on some island three days east of here. He wanted me to take care of a pirate problem he was having there, so I had to catch a ship heading in that direction. I just got back today."

"A favor? What kind of favor?"

"He didn't kill me."

Shakky gave him a confused look.

Vaughan darted his gaze to the side. "... He has a daughter." **  
><strong>

"Ah," Shakky said with a nod, pouring him another glass. "In that case, you owe half the men in the Grand Line a favor."

"Haha, you're hilarious."

Shakky just smiled at him, tossing away the broken glass then lighting a fresh smoke.

Vaughan downed his drink in one go, and slammed the glass down. "So, has Dark King come back yet? Last time I was here you said you hadn't seen him in 4 months, and that was more than a month ago."

Shakky leaned on the counter, resting her chin in her palm. "Why? Do you plan to turn in his bounty?"

Vaughan gave Shakky a horrified expression. "Are you kidding me?! Do I _look_ like I have a death wish?! No, I just wanted to ask him something."

"Is that 'something' about that legendary island you're so interested in, Enoch-chan?"

The temperature in the bar dropped twenty degrees in that instant. Shakky had obviously just brought up a _very_ _touchy subject_.

Vaughan expression became guarded, and even annoyed. "I lost interest in that place years ago."

"I sincerely doubt that. You spoke rather animatedly about it last time you were here... once you had a few pints."

Vaughan's eye twitched in irritation, then he looked away and began running his thumb over his medallion. "... So what if it is. It's none of your business."

Shakky gave him a knowing smile. "Of course it's not."

(A little less than a year from now, Vaughan would meet a certain mohawked woman who gave eerily similar knowing smiles, though hers were more smug. This would irritate him to no end.)

The red-eyed man glared at her, then exhaled loudly through his nose. He stood up, slapped a mess of bills next to his glass, and then put on his cloak. It was a fancy thing that had a high collar as well as a hood. The kanji symbol _chi _(which meant blood- go figure) was on the front in dark maroon script.

"Thanks for the booze, Ms. Shakuyaku," he said stiffly. With that, he picked up his bag, pulled his hood over his head, and stalked out of the bar.

Shakky gave an uncharacteristically weary sigh, carefully lifting Vaughan's money from the bar counter. She smiled; once again, he'd overpaid.

* * *

><p>Vaughan speed-walked through Grove 13, trying to keep his mind off the <em>very touchy subject<em> Shakky had dared to raise to the surface. Ugh, _why_ did he have to be such a blabbermouth when drunk?! He didn't like to _think_ about_ it_, let alone speak of_ it_!

_"Look at you! How can you hope to find the island when you're such a wuss, brat!"_

Vaughan began to walk even faster.

_"Dammit, another dead end. Sigh, this is harder than Barun made it look. Any ideas?"_

He shook his head furiously. No, he had moved past this. He wasn't going to be dragged back into that nonsense. He shouldn't have even tried to seek out Rayleigh to ask about it.

_"I'm sorry... this is where my voyage ends, brat. It's up to you now... you're the only one left."_

Vaughan stopped walking and clutched his head. This had to end. Now.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, BHANU!" Vaughan shouted to the heavens. He earned a few weird looks from those in the general vicinity. "WHY IS IT YOU STILL PISS ME OFF EVEN WHEN YOU'RE LONG GONE?!"

It took a lot to get Vaughan to blow his top, but Bhanu never had to show any effort to do so. That was one of things Vaughan always hated about him.

Vaughan breathed heavily. Remembering the old troll's words, now of all times, was making him feel ill. He needed a distraction, any kind of distraction. A pirate attack, a marine coup, a flash mob, a...

**_SMACK!_**

... A News Coo practically beaning him with the weekly newspaper.

Vaughan hissed, rubbing the spot the newspaper hit. "YOU FREAKING RAT WITH WINGS! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE DROPPING THOSE!"

The News Coo had already flown off to deliver more papers, sparing it from Vaughan's wrath. The young bounty hunter scowled, but leaned over and picked the newspaper up. As he unfolded it he thought, _Well, I wanted a distraction_...

Numerous wanted posters tumbled from the newspaper. The headline jumped out at Vaughan with almost obnoxious intensity.

STRAW HAT PIRATES ATTACK ENIES LOBBY! JUDICIAL ISLAND COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN VIOLENT ATTACK!

Vaughan read the head line again, and then for a third time.

_"Listen brat, the World Government is nothing but a bunch of overconfident arses who like to inflate their own disproportional egos. I mean, look at that vanity project they call Enies Lobby. 'Symbol of justice' my butt. It's an eyesore, that's what it is. I keep hoping some idiot pirate gets the guts to blow that place to kingdom come. Not like anyone will miss it."_

"'Some idiot pirate,' huh?" Vaughan muttered. For once, remembering Bhanu's words brought forth no ire or nausea.

Then Vaughan did something unexpected- something he hadn't done in many years. He laughed.

Vaughan sat down on the sticky ground, threw back his head, and had a nice, long laugh. His laugh wasn't anything special, it was as common as they come. But if you asked anyone who heard it that day what it was like, they would all tell you they had never heard a laugh sound so unbelievably _relieved. _It was as if everything had gone right in the world for the laugh's owner at that one moment.

Vaughan did eventually stop laughing, and when he did, he scooped up the wanted posters he had previously let fall. After briefly leafing through them- was that a tanuki? And why make a poster for a guy who wore a mask?- he came across the captain of the pirate crew the newspaper was blaming the entire incident on. (He was_ so_ sure the government hadn't censored _anything_. Dorks.)

"Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy, with a bounty set at 300 million berris. That figured; you'd have to be related to Old Man Garp to do something so insane. The Vice Admiral must have had a conniption when he heard.

(The fact that Garp had actually procreated wouldn't sink in until several hours later, causing Vaughan to choke on his dinner and get the Heimlich from a bystander.)

Vaughan tossed the wanted posters aside and flopped onto his back. He didn't even care he was getting resin all over his favorite cloak. The moment was just too perfect to be worried about trivial things like that.

Smiling like an absolute fool, Vaughan put his arms behind his head and looked up into the leaves of the mangroves. Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates; now that was something worth looking into.

And though he didn't know it then, Vaughan _would_ get a look at these Straw Hats, and it would be sooner than he thought...

**Vaughan _did_ say he saw Zoro's near-death experience with Kizaru. ****Stay tuned!**

**A/N: Vaughan's going to become kind of important later on, so I added this look into his life two years ago. Quick spoiler, he's actually going to be the subject for one of two flashback chapters for this story. (Hey, this is One Piece; there has to be a flashback or two.)**

* * *

><p><em><strong>3: Zoro-sempai<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Just after sunrise<strong>  
><strong>Location: Campsite of the LuffyEventual Future Usopp/Roronoa's-Mystery-Girl-If-We-Happen-To-See-Her Rescue Team**

"Is the fire out?" Nami asked, packing up the blanket Luffy had been lying on.

Sanji stomped his foot down, sending a spray of dirt over the fire and snuffing it out. "It is now, Nami my swan!~"

"Good. Then let's get going."

Lysopp looked around. "Uh... one question; which way do we go?"

Nami looked ready to answer, but then slumped over dejectedly. "I'm not sure. I really couldn't get an idea of where we were going thanks to Erity and Vaughan."

"Just another reason to hate that red-eyed freak!" Sanji chimed in.

"What about Erity?" Chopper asked.

"Eh, you can hate her for me. She's the enemy, but I could never truly hate a woman as lovely as her."

"Cough- hopeless- cough- case- cough!" Lysopp faked-coughed into his hand.

Sanji threw the sniper a baleful glare, while the latter whistled innocently.

Roronoa hitched (the still out cold) Luffy higher onto his back. He gestured his head to the side. "I think we originally came from that direction, so we should go that way to start."

"Great idea!" Sanji said, immediately walking in the opposite direction. "This way, everyone!"

"Hey, that's completely opposite of what I said!" Roronoa pointed out.

"Yeah, like we're really taking directions from you, Mosshead," Sanji snorted.

"Oh, and that gives you the grounds to be the leader? Last time I checked, you aren't any more the navigator than I am, Number 7."

"_Why_ do you keep calling me that?!"

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Lysopp put a hand on the reindeer's hat, shaking his head. There were just some things that were better left unexplained.

"Whatever," Sanji scowled. "Point is, I may not be navigator, but there's a reason I'm a much better choice for helping Nami lead us out of this jungle, besides the obvious better sense of direction."

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"I'm the eldest in the crew at the moment, so it only makes sense."

"Are you _still_ milking that?!" Nami said in exasperation.

"I'm a chef, Nami sweet; I never waste good milk."

Roronoa grit his teeth. "Newsflash, I'm older than you by two years!"

"Only because you're from the future!" Sanji reminded him. "In reality, I got eight months on you!"

Nami facepalmed. "Not this again. Can't they give it a rest?"

Tony frowned in confusion. "Give what a rest?"

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Lysopp added curiously.

"Right before we arrived here on the island, we got into a discussion about our ages and learned Sanji is actually older than Zoro," Chopper explained.

"Oh yeah, I remember that. It was a few days before we arrived in Nanohana," Lysopp said. He frowned and side-eyed the ginger navigator. "I learned that Nami hadn't bothered to learn my age in all the time we sailed together."

"We were busy, it never came up!" Nami attempted to defend herself.

Tony ignored Lysopp and Nami's brief tiff, giving his younger self a weird look. "What are you talking about? Sanji isn't older than Zo- I mean, Roronoa."

All conversation and bickering came to a sudden halt. Sanji slowly turned his head to look down at the future doctor.

"Well, yeah, right _now_," the cook admitted. "Roronoa's from two years in the future, so naturally-"

"No, I mean he's older than you in general," Tony interrupted.

Roronoa gave Tony an expectant glance. He wanted to hear this.

"What are you talking about?" Sanji asked anxiously. "I'm eight months older than Mosshead. I was born on March 2, and he was born on November 11."

Tony crossed his little arms. "Sanji, I'm the ship's doctor. It's my job to know information like the whole crew's birth dates, or at least Nami _made_ it my job after Robin joined."

"So?"

"Yeah, so?" Nami echoed.

Tony pointed a hoof at Sanji. "Sanji was born March second of 1505..." He pointed at Roronoa. "... but Zoro was born November eleventh of 150_4_. He's actually about six months older than you, Sanji."

No one said a word after Tony finished his explanation. They just kept switching from staring at Tony, at Roronoa, and at a slack-jawed Sanji. So this entire time they'd been in awe for nothing? Zoro, the slightly taller and older-looking one, actually _was_ the older one?

Who would've thought? Several more minutes passed before anyone made the effort to break the silence. The pirate that finally did it was the swordsman in question, or at least his future self.

"... That would have been nice to know two years ago."

**A/N: I've been continually presented with overwhelming evidence that Zoro is actually the older one, not Sanji. Rather than go back and change everything I'd already written, I wrote this instead. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>4: The Trial of the Baba Siblings<strong>_

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><p><strong>Time: The Year 1519 AOP<br>****Location: The Royal Palace, Alubarna, Alabasta**

_Dear Vivi,_

_Sorry I haven't written to you recently. The situation here in Yuba was starting to become troublesome. The recent dry spell has many rushing here to use the oasis, but it's under control, for now at least. My father says we need to be patient, but what is your father planning to..._

Vivi closed the letter and sighed. She finally gets a letter from Kohza, and it's about the lack of rain. She should have guessed; it was just like him to be concerned about things like that.

_Nefertari Vivi_

_Princess of Alabasta Kingdom_

_(Age: 13)_

Carue, who was at her side as always, quacked softly and nudged her hand. This was his way of asking if she was alright.

Vivi smiled and scratched the super spotted-bill duck's head. "I'm fine, Carue. I just want to hear about something besides this stupid dry spell."

No, she didn't really think the dry spell was stupid; she was just frustrated. Alabasta was by no means a rain forest, and going for long periods without rain was completely normal. However, they'd never gone_ this_ long. It wasn't so long that her father was particularly worried, but long enough that everyone else was. There was even talk of it being the beginning of a_ drought_. Honestly, it was ridiculous! It rained all the time in Alubarna, so there was no way it could be a full-on drought.

She got up from her chair and walked outside onto her balcony. Carue followed.

She leaned on the railing. But still... her father did always say a king's duty was to his people, and they were her people too. If everyone was starting to get worried, she supposed looking into the matter couldn't hurt. Standing up straight, she decided she would go see if her father was busy, and if he wasn't, she would ask him about the possibilities of helping those affected by the dry spell.

Vivi turned around, ready to do just that, when she heard shouting.

"UNHAND ME, YOU SAVAGE DOG!" a female voice shrieked.

"Yeah, unhand her! If she leaves, then she'll stop screaming in my ear!" a male voice pleaded angrily.

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS! WE HAVE RIGHTS!"

"Or better yet, let _me_ go! I'm good either way!

"WOULD_ BOTH_ OF YOU BE QUIET?!" _That_ voice she recognized. It was Chaka, surprisingly enough. Chaka never shouted like that.

Vivi looked down from her balcony, and saw Chaka and Pell were dragging two people up the palace steps. Whoever it was they were dragging, they kept thrashing and giving her country's guardians a hard time. But all too soon, the group disappeared behind the front palace doors.

Vivi raised an eyebrow, then shared a glance with Carue. Both simply shrugged, but Vivi decided that maybe now wasn't the best time to bother her father.

* * *

><p>"Igaram," King Nefertari Cobra said, sitting down on his throne. "Have Chaka and Pell returned yet?"<p>

"Chaka and Pell-" Igaram cleared his throat. "-Ma, Ma, Ma! Chaka and Pell have just returned, your majesty." He frowned sourly, as did the other soldiers who stood in the throne room. "_With_ the people you asked them to retrieve."

"Good, thank you. Please send them in."

Igaram motioned for a guard to open the doors to the throne room. The doors swung open, and in came Pell and Chaka with their charges. Both wearing aggravated expressions, the two Zoans tossed the man and woman they had been dragging forward. They landed in a heap at the foot of the steps to Cobra's throne.

Pell had been dragging a short young woman in her late teens/early twenties, with violet hair in a long braid and messy bangs that fell into her jade green eyes. A small round birthmark was just under the left eye. She wore an elaborate dancer girl outfit, forgoing shoes, with bangles around her ankles and wrists as well as other pieces of gold jewelry. She was also wearing metal chains and shackles, but those were obviously a new addition.

Pell held in his hand a short staff with a notch cut in the top- a shikomizue sword no doubt. Cobra had heard this woman was a skilled swordsman.

Chaka's charge was a tall young man approximately the same age as the woman. He had short, wild violet hair that also fell into his green eyes. His birthmark was beneath his right eye. He wore a loose open shirt, short pants, a sash around his waist, and pointed slippers. He too had chains and shackles on his arms.

Chaka wasn't holding any confiscated weapons, but if the rumors Cobra heard were true, the shackled man didn't need them.

"How dare you treat a lady like this!" the woman snarled, untangling herself from the man and twisting into a sitting position. She glared fiercely at the two Zoans. "Did your mothers not teach you how to treat women properly?"

"If I bruise, don't think I won't sue you guys for assault!" the man barked. He easily contorted his body through his arms so that the limbs were in front instead of behind his back. He stood up and got in Chaka's face. "What gives you the right to hogtie us and throw us on the ground?!"

"I suppose that would be me, though I can say with candor that I did not expect them to put you in chains," Cobra spoke up.

"I apologize, my lord," Pell said. "But when we went to fetch them, they were... resistant, to put it mildly."

Taking into account his and Chaka's disheveled appearances and their torn up clothing, it was being put _very_ mildly.

Cobra nodded, understanding entirely. "Fair enough." He turned his attention to the chained-up people in question. "Baba Yari, Baba Runo. Welcome to the royal palace."

_Baba Runo and Baba Yari_

_Bounty Hunting Twins From Nanohana (in Alubarna on Business)_

_(Ages: 20)_

The Baba Twins ceased their outrage and froze with terrified expressions on their faces. Then, very slowly, they turned around (through in Yari's case, it was more like she scooted around so that she was sitting facing the throne).

"HOLY CRAP!" the pair shouted at the same time. "IS THAT COBRA?!"

"You insolent rabble!" Igaram shouted. "Show some respect for your king!"

The twins ignored Igaram in favor of their own little panic attack. Yari shot to her feet and attempted to run out of the throne room with her brother, but Chaka and Pell grabbed them by their arms before they could make it too far. Runo and Yari kept running anyway, and the two head guards were actually having difficulty keeping their grip. The other soldiers in the throne room raised their weapons, but it proved unnecessary. Finally, Chaka and Pell were able to yank them back and throw them to the ground again.

"Are you done?" Cobra asked calmly.

Yari and Runo both sighed. "Yeah, we are."

"In that case, Chaka, Pell, would you mind removing their bonds?"

They reluctantly obliged. This allowed the siblings to stand up and rub their chafed wrists.

"So, any reason why you sent your pet puppy and birdy to interrupt our noon meal?" Yari asked scathingly, straightening out her clothes. "It took us a long time to get reservations to that restaurant."

"I actually don't mind that much; the food there sucked," Runo threw in, stretching his arms- mostly in weird positions that made the other soldiers' stomachs roll.

Yari shushed him.

"Are you saying you're both unaware of the grievous crimes you have committed?!" Igaram asked incredulously.

"Good, now we're on the same page," Runo said cheerily. He crossed his arms and smirked. "Care to enlighten us?"

A vein throbbed on Igaram's forehead, and in order to prevent his friend from suffering a massive aneurysm, Cobra saw it fit to intervene.

"Yari, Runo, roughly two days ago you both attempted to collect the bounty of pirate captain Roche Tomson, and in the ensuing battle you caused a wide radius of destruction to Nanohana's port," Cobra said. He gave the twins a serious look he usually reserved for Vivi when she did something wrong. "Do you recall this?"

Yari placed her hands on her hips. "We did more than attempt; we succeeded. Roche is well on his way to Impel Down, but I digress. Is that the cause of all this fuss?"

"In case you haven't noticed, causing disproportional collateral damage is kind of our shtick." Runo smirked mischievously. "All purely accidental, of course."

"This time was different," Cobra said, his voice gaining a slightly icy quality. "Along with the initial damage to the port, you also severely injured-"

"- 138 people who were caught in the crossfire of your battle!" Igaram finished for the king. "Ma, ma, ma! You're lucky they're all still alive!"

The hunter twins's eyes widened, but this occurred with brevity. The twins both quickly adopted near-identical deadpan expressions.

"Oh,_ that_," they said listlessly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'OH, _THAT_'?!" Chaka, Pell, Igaram, and every other guard in throne room hollered in unison.

"This is about_ that_?" Runo continued, cleaning out his ear with his pinkie. "Geez."

"You had us worried for a moment there," Yari added, running her fingers through her bangs. "I thought we had done something seriously wrong."

"How _dare_ you!" Igaram scolded, red faced. "You wounded over a hundred people! Did your parents not at least_ try_ to teach you how to be decent human beings?!"

As soon as he said this, Yari and Runo fell to their knees and hung their heads. An aura of negativity floated over them, adding to the overall miserable nature of their appearance.

"How did he _know_ that?" they asked themselves gloomily.

Chaka and Pell both sweatdropped. These two were idiots.

"Igaram, that's enough," Cobra told his captain of the guard. "There's a chance you're correct. In the time I knew him, I never took Baba Shar to be of the... fatherly sort. From what my late wife told me when we visited Gobihara Badlands many years ago, he was more interested in the well-being of his village than his own children."

Upon mention of their father, the emo-cloud dissipated as Yari and Runo stiffened. It didn't last too long though; they then stood back up, oddly resigned looks gracing their features. But beneath this outward appearance of resignation lay burning fury. You could see it in their eyes.

"I strongly suggest you get to your point, your majesty," Yari said without emotion. "You will find we are not the types who enjoy having their time wasted."

"While I cannot vouch for his skills as a parent, Shar was a leader who cared for his people," Cobra said. "When you came on the scene as bounty hunters two years ago, this was a trait I hoped he had instilled in his children, at the very least." He closed his eyes. "As king, my country is my people. This is the same for any ordinary man, and if a man hurts his people, where would he be? Could he truly still call this place his country?" He opened his eyes. "What about you two? You endangered the lives of your fellow citizens; citizens you have been protecting by defeating pirates who enter our waters. Do you truly feel no remorse in how you've hurt your country in this way?"

The twins didn't answer for a very long time, but Cobra was in no rush. He wanted whatever they had to say to be well thought-out, though he had no indication as to what they were thinking. Both siblings had lowered their gazes so their bangs blocked their eyes.

"... You know, Cobra, I've just decided that you're not as good a judge of character as you think you are," Yari whispered at last, albeit with venom.

Cobra raised an eyebrow. Was she saying he was wrong about them or their father? Whatever the case, Yari lifted her head; her eyes were colder than ice. Runo's eyes were cold as well when his raised his gaze, but considerably less so than his sister.

"We feel no remorse for hurting those people because it is so obvious they got hurt because they were weak," Yari continued, planting one hand on her hip jauntily.

Runo nodded sagely. "Truer words have never been spoken. It's a harsh world beyond your palace walls, Cobra; not that you'd know. You royal types are _so_ above everything."

"You-!" Igaram began.

"Shut it, tube-head, we're still talking!" Runo interrupted. "Anyway, maybe we went overboard with Tomson, but pirate fights are a common occurrence in this day and age. If the _people_ you keep rambling on about aren't strong enough to survive these, then the fact of the matter is that they're simply too weak to remain in this world. If anything, we're doing you a favor by weeding out the weaklings from the strong."

In the entire time they'd known him, Igaram, Chaka, and Pell had never seen Cobra look so angry. The king's teeth were grit tightly, and his eyes had narrowed so far they were almost closed completely.

"Besides, in the long run, we defeated the pirate and your precious country is safe once more," Yari added. "One of our _d-dear f-father's_ favorite sayings was that you cannot make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. We have broken the eggs, so it's up to you, as king, to make the omelet."

Silence returned to the throne room. No one had any idea how to respond how to such heartless and causal words. No one, except for the man sitting in the throne in front of the speaker of those heartless words.

"It seems to me," the king said slowly. "That it bothers the two of you that you live in what you call a 'weak country.'"

"To an extent," the twins replied with dual shrugs.

"... When I heard of what the two of you had done, I was reluctant to consider throwing you in prison. Despite your obvious flaws, you have protected this country time and time again. However, now that I've heard your true feelings, I have a much more advantageous punishment for you." He stood up and pointed to the throne room doors. "Baba Yari and Baba Runo, as of this day you are officially _banished_ from Alabasta Kingdom! You are never to reenter our borders for as long as you both may live!"

Whatever smug feelings the twins held vanished like a desert mirage. Yari's eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped, but no sound came from her mouth. Runo was much more vocal, as he was wont to be.

"_BANISHED_?!" the male bounty hunter cried out. "You can't do that!"

"He can," Pell corrected him. "He's the king and you are one of the fools who hurt his people. Considering everything that has happened, you and your sister are getting off easy."

"We've lived here our entire lives! Weak or not, this place is our home!" Runo argued with the falcon. He turned back to Cobra. "Please reconsider, your highness! How about me and Yari help fix all the damage we caused, and we'll pay for the victims' hospital bills! Then we can call it even!"

Cobra didn't take him up on his offer, only responding with a steely stare. The sentence was non-negotiable.

"We... we can't just leave..." Runo choked out. "Where... where are we supposed to..."

"Runo, stop sniveling. It is pointless."

Runo turned to his sister. Her face was hardened in barely-contained rage. She immediately snatched Runo's wrist with one hand and her sword from Pell with the other.

"If we have to leave, I suppose now is as good a time as any," she said heatedly, tugging her brother towards the throne room doors. "That annoying Warlord has been beating us to many of the pirates as of late. Business had plummeted entirely."

"But Yari-" Runo started to protest.

"This country is going under anyway," Yari continued, ignoring her brother. "This is for the best."

"Wait," Cobra spoke up. Yari stopped walking and tugging. "What are you talking about?"

Yari looked over her shoulder and gave Cobra a tight smile. "Everyone knows this dry spell is more than just that. Seeds of unrest have been planted amongst your _darling_ people, and it is only a matter of time before they bloom into a force that will bring you and this country _down_. It saddens me that I will not be here to see it."

With that, Yari continued her hurried pace, dragging her protesting brother all the way and radiating sheer fury. As they came to the doors, Yari stopped for a moment. Out of nowhere, she raised her fist and punched the wall. The random action left a large crater in the solid stone wall.

"Goodbye, Cobra," she said without looking at the king. "I would wish you luck, but that would make me a liar, would it not?"

The Baba Twins exited the throne room, leaving behind the king and his men to consider her words. Neither party knew at the time just how accurate Yari's predictions would be.

* * *

><p>"Banished!" Runo yelled, throwing his arms up into the air as he paced the deck. "I can't <em>believe<em> you got us banished!"

After leaving the royal palace, the Royal Army escorted them back to Nanohana. Once they returned to their home to pack their things, the army dropped them off at the first ship that was planning to depart. It happened to be a merchant ship that didn't mind two extra passengers. The captain of the ship stated he would gladly take Yari and Runo to the next island.

Yari and Runo weren't happy about any of it at all. They were only on this ship because they had been freaking _banished_!

"Now what we supposed to do?!" Runo continued to complain and pace. "Alabasta's the only home we've ever had! You just _had_ to overdo it in that fight! _I_ was perfectly restrained, but _you_-!"

"He did not banish us because _we both_ overdid it!" Yari snapped at him from where she leaned on the ship's railing. "He banished us for simply living up to our _d-dear f-father's_ philosophy! We are victims of circumstance, and if Cobra cannot comprehend that, then he is even more naive than he appears. And what is so wrong with that philosophy?! You and I both know the world we live in has no room for the weak!"

Runo scoffed and sat down crosslegged. "Clinging to our values isn't going to get us a new home, though."

"Maybe we do not need one."

"Eh?"

"Many bounty hunters travel around without a permanent home. It is not unheard of that we do the same." She turned to face her brother. "The pirates we captured in Alabasta were severely below our level of skill. I suggest we make our way through the Grand Line, continue to get stronger, and eventually arrive in a place where we will never be bothered by the likes of the weak ever again."

Runo gave Yari a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

Yari did not answer straightaway. She first unsheathed her blade and held up her braid. With one quick, clean movement, she lopped off the length of hair and tossed it overboard, leaving her remaining hair looking like a rough pixie cut.

Runo gaped. Had his vain sister just chopped off her hair without so much as a second thought?

... What crazy messed-up universe had he just entered?

Yari re-sheathed her sword and knelt down in front of Runo. She reached over and cupped his chin.

"Get ready, Runo. We are heading to the New World."

**A/N: I haven't done much characterization for Yari and Runo, so I felt it would help to give you some exposition into their past. Hope you enjoyed this; Cobra was really hard to write!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>5: TRD Straw Hat Theater Presents: Monster Time!<strong>_

* * *

><p><em>In the carefree monster village of Monstown, located the carefree Monster Forest, there are a wide variety of monsters who live together peacefully and... well, carefree. There have been the occasional arguments, mostly between the village's resident minotaur and kappa, but conflict is usually kept to the bare minimum. That is, until a day came where some newcomers decided to stir up trouble. It all began on a very special day in Monstown, or it at least it was for a certain group of monsters...<em>

"So, are we all aware of what the plan is?" Stronami the mermaid asked, bouncing along the beach on her tail.

"Of course!" Usoppaka the centaur said, galloping next to her. He jerked his thumb to the packages strapped to his back."First, we go into town and buy all the finest quality meat we can find, which we've already taken care of!"

The mermaid's eyes widened. "What? How did you pay for it?!"

"I took care of it, Stronami my love!" Sanzara the kappa replied, one arm waving enthusiastically while the other held his legendary saucer to his head. He was running on her left. "It completely cleared out my savings, but I'd do anything to ensure your plan is a success!"

"Pervert Kappa," Zoromilk, the minotaur who looked like a cow, muttered. He ran next to Usoppaka, a difficult feat given he was still carrying all three of his legendary clubs.

Sanzara glared at him. "Shut up, Bessie! I didn't ask for your opinion!"

"No fighting!" Stronami ordered. "We still need to go over the plan! Chopaken, please state the next phase!"

Chopaken, the massive kraken, swam in the water next to the beach in order to keep up with his friends. "Uh... we're doing it right now! Buy the meat and make a mad dash for Lugyao's house!"

"After which we will ask Lugyao to follow us to a specific location on the beach," Rodusa the gorgon went on for the kraken.

"_Super_!" a voice from above called out. "Once he agrees, then I'll show off the _super_ fireworks display I've been working on!"

Flying above the group on the beach was a strange blue creature that looked like a cross between a lion, an eagle, and a robot if his plane-like wings were any indication. He was also only wearing a speedo and sunglasses, for whatever reason.

_This strange, legendary beast is Frankistern, a griffin that joined Lugyao's circle of friends after the "Legendary Rodusa Petrification Incident." He lost his wings in an accident, and replaced them with mechanical ones of his own design. He is also a pervert. _

"And I'll provide musical accompaniment!" said the creature flying next to Frankistern. It was a glowing, ghostly thing that seemed to be formed out of smoke and light, vaguely resembling a skull. "Together Frankistern and I will be a true experience for the eyes and ears... though I have neither! Yohohoho!"

_This is Broowillis, a will-o-wisp who happens to be an excellent musician. He was discovered by Lugyao in a foggy swamp in Monster Forest, and was invited to live in the village with him and his friends._

"Yosh!" Stronami declared. "Our plan is perfect! There is no way this can go wrong!"

"You just jinxed it, Stronami!" Zoromilk yelled at her.

"Don't yell at Stronami, Clover Breath!" Sanzara yelled at the minotaur.

"Cucumber Brain!"

"Hamburger!"

"Saucer Face!"

The argument continued, but the rest of the group ignored them. It wasn't long before they reached Lugyao the dragon's house, which was built on top of a low cliff near the beach. This made it convenient for Chopaken, who couldn't leave the water but could at least look above the cliff.

The monsters not the in water crowded around Lugyao's front door, and Rodusa knocked.

"Lugyao!" they all called out. "Come on out! We have something for you!"

The door slammed open almost immediately, and the group was exposed to the sight of a very frantic Lugyao.

"Guys, I'm glad you're here!" Lugyao shouted. "I have a serious problem!"

There was no doubt about that. The first thing the dragon's friends noticed upon seeing him was that he was lacking a certain feature on his head.

"EHHHHHH?!" they all shouted. "YOUR LEGENDARY HORNS ARE MISSING!"

"WHAT?! MY LEGENDARY HORNS ARE MISSING?!" Lugyao cried out in surprise.

"HOW COULD YOU NOT NOTICE?! AND WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THEN?!"

"MY HAT IS GONE! I WAS HOPING YOU'D ALL HELP ME FIND IT!" Lugyao moaned and fell to his knees. "First I lose my hat, and now my legendary horns? What a disaster!"

"It looks like those rumors I heard were true..." Broowillis said, mostly to himself.

"What rumors?" Usoppaka asked.

"Rumors of a group of monsters that steal legendary items from other monsters, then sell them to the highest bidder," Broowillis explained. "Though I don't know why they'd want Lugyao-san's hat."

"I'm going to guess they wanted his legendary horns, not his hat," Sanzara said. He lit a cigarette. "But Lugyao never let's anyone get close to his hat, much less his horns. When could they have gotten to him?"

"I did take a nap outside earlier," Lugyao spoke up, getting back on his feet. "When I woke up, my hat was gone!... Oh, and my legendary horns, I guess."

Stronami, Usoppaka, and Sanzara facepalmed. Leave it to Lugyao to think of his hat first and his horns second.

"If these monsters steal legendary objects, do you think they're the ones who took Rodusa's legendary earrings awhile back?" Zoromilk questioned. "We never did find them."

"Oh yeah, you guys told me about that! Once she lost them you all worked your hardest to find her something even nicer..." Frankistern burst into tears. "WAAAAH! It's so beautiful! I love you guys! WAAAAAH!"

"Are you crying, Frankistern?" Chopaken asked with concern.

"Shuddup, I'm not crying! You're crying!"

"I am?!"

"Even if they didn't take Rodusa's legendary earrings, these thieves are probably the ones who took Lugyao's legendary horns," Stronami reasoned. "Broowillis, did the rumors you heard mention where we might find these creatures?"

Broowillis nodded, or rather he did the will-o-wisp equivalent of nodding. "They do. These thieves supposedly have a home base in some ruins in the northern part of Monster Forest."

"I know where that is!" Rodusa announced. She turned to Chopaken. "Chopaken, stay here and see to Lugyao. We don't know what effect the loss of his horns will have on him. The rest of us will investigate the thieves."

Chopaken saluted with one of his tentacles. "Aye-aye, Rodusa!"

The group quickly put away the meat Sanzara had bought, then left the kraken and dragon in order to investigate the thieves.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in the ancient carefree ruins of carefree Monster Forest, a shady group has come to a meeting...<em>

"Yuhahaha, this is perfect!" the first creature said.

The creature was a female monster made of stone, with pointed ears and clawed fingers and toes. She had large bat-like wings, horns sticking out of her forehead, and a large red jewel in the middle of her brow. She also had a blond mohawk, with the most normal thing about her.

"The boss is going to flip for this!" she went on. "We've finally found legendary dragon horns!"

_This is the gargoyle Notrerity. She is 2nd lieutenant of the Carrionotrio Treasure Hunters. She is short-tempered and something of a whiner. Also, never imply she is older than the age she claims she is. You will regret it. _

"It is about time," another creature said, filing her long, sharp nails. "Boss was so adamant; he even said we were not to return until we had legendary dragon's horns."

This creature had violet hair, green skin, and a warty nose. She wore a black Lolita dress, a pointy hat, and striped stockings. She also carried an elegant wand, which she was using as a nail file.

_This is the third lieutenant of the treasure hunters, the evil witch Yariyaga. She is a master of evil spells and magic, most of which end up back firing on her. She likes to wear fancy dresses in hope they will keep others from noticing her nose. It doesn't work. _

"The dude's got serious issues," Yariyaga's companion said, performing a handstand. "I thought those legendary earrings we stole were good enough. Boss is just picky."

This one appeared to be a young man with violet hair, but he was made up of stitched-up cloths.

_This interesting being is Rurandy, a living rag doll. He is not actually a monster, but rather a life-sized doll Yariyaga brought to life with one of her spells... a move she later regretted. He's kind of annoying._

Rurandy held up the horns, which were sitting inside a straw hat. "I still can't believe how easy it was. I thought dragons were ferocious in holding on to their treasure."

"I always thought that too," Yariyaga commented. "I wonder why he did not react or awaken."

"Hmmph," the fourth member scoffed in the shadows. "Probably because you guys are the first ones stupid enough to steal from a dragon."

"Nice to hear from you and your sunny disposition," Notrerity said, rolling her eyes. "You helped steal it too, you know."

Yariyaga and Rurandy snickered.

The fourth creature didn't reply. He was a pale young man with slicked-back black hair, red eyes, and a scar on his cheek. He wore a black cloak.

_The first lieutenant and final member of this team is Count Vaucula. He is not actually a count, or even a vampire. He is an ordinary man who looked so much like a bloodsucker he was sent to live in Monster Forest as a child. He has long since given up trying to convince his peers of otherwise. _

"... I have no interest in the legendary items we steal," Vaucula finally said coolly. "The only reason I joined you guys was that I hoped I could complete my own goals."

"How could you not be interested? We rake in a lot of income by selling legendary items," Notrerity asked.

Vaucula crossed his arms. "In that case, why don't you sell your legendary forehead jewel, or Yariyaga's legendary wand?"

"That's a great idea!" Rurandy agreed with zeal.

"NO WAY, JERKS!" Yariyaga and Notrerity hollered.

"And you do not get a say, Rurandy!" Yariyaga declared, pointing at her rag doll man. "You are not even a real legendary creature!"

"Neither is Vaucula," Rurandy pointed out.

The girls' eyes bugged out of their eyes as they turned to stare at their comrade.

"He's not?!" Notrerity gasped.

"Seriously?!" Yariyaga added.

Vaucula slapped his forehead, then shouted angrily, "WHAT DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU ALL THESE YEARS?!"

"I knew all along," Rurandy said smugly.

This led to a large argument amongst the four, mostly consisting of insults to each other's intelligence. They got so into it that they didn't even notice when a minotaur, mermaid, centaur, kappa, griffin, and will-o-wisp arrived at the ruins.

"Ahem!" Stronami cleared her throat. "Excuse me!"

The treasure thieves stopped arguing and turned to glare at the new arrivals. "_WHAT_?!"

Zoromilk pointed one his clubs at the horns and hat in Rurandy's hands. "You stole our friend's legendary horns and we want them back, now!"

"Forget it!" Yariyaga snapped. "We stole these fair and square! Go steal your own!"

"If you won't give them back, we'll just have to _take_ them back from you!" Frankistern said, pounding his front feet together like fists,

"You're welcome to try," Notrerity said baring her fangs.

All monsters on both sides took a battle stance, ready to fight for the legendary dragon horns (and hat). It would have been an amazing battle... if one gorgon hadn't intervened.

"We don't have time for this," Rodusa sighed. With that, she removed her glasses and glared at the thieves.

In the blink of an eye (literally), the thieves were turned to stone. All except Vaucula, who covered his eyes in time.

"What the heck, Rodusa!" Zoromilk protested. "I wanted to fight them!"

"As did I," Usoppaka lied. He was sweating in fear, but was relieved. "But a peaceful solution works for me as well!"

"I'm with Usoppaka and Rodusa," Stronami admitted. "We have a time table to keep."

"You're so wise, Stronami!" Sanzara cooed.

Frankistern whistled to get his friends' attention. "Guys, hold up! The thieves aren't all down!"

"The vampire hasn't been petrified!" Broowillis added.

Vaucula uncovered his eyes (Rodusa had put her glasses back on), sighed at the sight of his comrades, then reached over and tossed both horns and hat to the group. "Here, they're all yours."

Rodusa caught the desired items, then gave Vaucula a quizzical look. "You're giving them up just like that? After all that trouble?"

Vaucula shrugged. "I only joined these guys because I was hoping to find a legend of my own. Somehow though, I think I'll do better by myself." He pointed to one of the ruined buildings. "I'll be taking these dunces back to Carrionotrio, but if you're missing any other legendary objects, we keep the stuff we steal in there. See ya."

Vaucula dragged his three new statues away, leaving the group of friends to do as he said and check the building. Inside they found a great expanse of legendary items from all sorts of different monsters, including Rodusa's missing earrings. The gorgon was happy to see her treasure, and then suggested that before they returned to Lugyao, they should go back to Monstown and spread the word about this place.

Everyone agreed. There was no reason not to; they had what they wanted.

* * *

><p>"Wow, this is amazing!" Lugyao exclaimed upon arriving at the beach. "Thanks you guys!"<p>

The beach was decorated with banners, streamers, and a feast of various cooked meats. Frankistern had his fireworks show underway, and Broowillis was rocking out on a guitar (despite not having any hands).

Once they left the ruins and told their fellow Monstown citizens about the ruins, they had returned to Lugyao's house. The dragon had been ecstatic to get his horns back (putting them back was an easy fix- Usoppaka had been carrying super glue), but was even more ecstatic to have his hat returned.

"You did all this for me?" the dragon asked.

"Of course! Would we ever do anything less?" Usoppaka said with pride.

Lugyao cocked his head to one side. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but can I ask why?"

His friends gaped, then laughed. It was just like him to forget something like this. They decided to remind him together.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUGYAO!"

_And so ends another day in carefree Monster Village..._

**A/N: And done! This last one was kind of random, but I had a lot of fun with it. I do love the omake shorts we sometimes get, and Monster Time was always my favorite! I hope you all enjoyed!**

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><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 16- The Trojan Stratagem... Or Runo Actually **_**Is**_** as Smart as He Thinks He Is.**_

* * *

><p><em>"Time: The Year 1522 AOP..."<br>_

I recently read somewhere that the world of One Piece exists in the year 1522 (or 1524, depend on what you're reading). I don't know if it's totally true, but it does give the passage of time a more solid stance, so I adopted the idea. I already went back and changed details pertaining to this in past chapters. "AOP" stands for "Age of Pirates."

_"Vaughan darted his gaze to the side. "... He has a daughter.""_

Not even half as dirty as I'm making it sound. Vaughan used to be something of a ladies man, but he was never good at dating. He had a habit of making women cry. This why he hasn't been on date since he joined Carrion. He decided women aren't worth the headache.

_"That figured; you'd have to be related to Old Man Garp to do something so insane. The Vice Admiral must have had a conniption when he learned."**  
><strong>_

Vaughan did say in the last omake special he's well-versed with who's-who within the Navy. However, he does sound like he knows Garp personally. Hmmm...

_""Yari, Runo, roughly two days ago you both attempted to capture the bounty of pirate captain Roche Tomson...""_

This is a little Easter egg. Roche Tomson was one of the names in a list of Impel Down prisoners Bon Clay looked at. I'd thought it'd be fun to throw in.

_"I never took Baba Shar to be of the... fatherly sort..."_

I got the name Shar from a character in "1001 Arabian Nights," which is where I originally got Yari and Runo's surname.

_"From what my late wife told me when we visited Gobihara Badlands..."_

These badlands are simply a combo of the words 'Sahara' and 'Gobi,' both of which are famous deserts in our world.

_"As king, my country is my people..."_

What? This is Cobra we're talking about. He had to say that at least once.

_"... You know, Cobra, I've just decided that you're not as good a judge of character as you think you are..."_

He really isn't. He used to think Crocodile was a hero, remember? Then again, I guess that would be the same for the majority of Alabasta, huh?

_"This strange, legendary beast is Frankistern, a griffin..."_

I got this monster identity for Franky from fanfiction called Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds. He was briefly mentioned as being in a dream Robin had, so I borrowed him. Brook was a vampire in that fic, so I decided to make him something original in mine.


	20. The Trojan Stratagem

**Ohayo, minna! I'm back again with another glorious chapter. I had to do a lot of research into the Sunny's design, but it was totally worth it for the sake of accuracy.**

**On a side note, I'm taking suggestions for something. We already have names for future characters such as Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony. But what will I call 3D2Y!Sanji, 3D2Y!Nami, and 3D2Y!Luffy? I want to hear what you think, and I'd love the help!**

**And last, but not least... anyone else read the current chapter? ODA, WHY?! Now the fandom has to make obligatory "disarmed" jokes! You have unleashed a force that cannot be stopped until Law fixes himself! Oh, but I guess then we'd have to make obligatory "rearmed" jokes. DANG IT, ODA!**

**Now that that's out of my system, onward with the chapter!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>SBS 7!<strong>

**Chapter Question: "_What were your reactions to Cora-san, or who is your favorite posthumous character (those who are introduced into the plot after they were canonically dead)?_"**

My favorite dead character? Once again, that is one I can't choose. I like so many of them. Corazon, Bellemere, Kuina, Hiruluk, Tom, etc. They are all so likeable for different reasons, and I could sit here all day describing them to you.

As for my initial reaction to Corazon, what with his child-kicking and setting himself on fire, I thought that this man was a complete idiot. However, if Law respected him so much to hold a grudge against Doflamingo for so long, there had to be more to him. So as chapters progressed and I came to know him better, I thought he was one _super_ guy, as Franky would put it. He did so much for Law, even died for him. You can't hate that in a character.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 16: The Trojan Stratagem... Or Runo Actually<em> Is<em> as Smart as He Thinks He Is**

* * *

><p><strong>Time: 15 minutes after sunrise<br>Location: The deck of the Going Merry, currently next to the Thousand Sunny, both anchored in the waters next to Kāla**

"The railing is a little loose- be careful when you lean on it."

"I got it, Usopp-bro."

"And try not to hammer the nails too hard- you might break the planks."

"I know what I'm doing, Usopp-bro."

"And don't forget-"

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" Franky shouted, turning his head to glare at the sniper. "WILL YOU BE QUIET AND JUST LET ME DO MY JOB?!"

Usopp reeled back from where he had been looking over the cyborg's shoulder. There was no way he was going to anger the guy who singlehandedly defeated all of Yari's men. In reeling back, he fell on his rear while shivering in terror.

Franky sighed and went back to hammering a new plank into the deck near the railing. "Sorry I yelled, but you forget that I'm the crew's shipwright. As long as it's me, Merry is in the best care in the world."

Usopp nodded and gulped. "Right, sorry."

Franky turned his head again to offer Usopp a reassuring smile, then returned to work.

After they had sailed their ships a reasonable enough distance away from where Vivi punched Yari, they weighed their anchors and finally took a much needed breather. In that time, they decided to see to their collective wounds with supplies Franky gathered from Future Chopper's office.

As Vivi stitched up Zoro's shoulder, much to the swordsman's protest, Franky had joined the Past Straw Hats on the Merry and demanded answers. Who was the blue-haired girl, who was the duck, and why did Zoro and Usopp act like they didn't know anything? Usopp and Brook took turns explaining everything that had happened, which took much longer than they would have thought. Throughout the entire story Franky remained silent, except for a few times where he had a question or started crying at something he found touching (all the while claiming he wasn't crying- Usopp had learned Franky was kind of emotional). By the time they'd finished, Zoro was stitched up and bandaged, and nearly half an hour had passed. Similar to Brook, Franky's final reaction was less than spectacular.

"Luffy gets us into the weirdest crap, huh?" he had sighed, then turned to Vivi. "In any case, it's _super_ great to meet you, Princess! I never knew the crew once had royalty on board!"

Though she had tried to hide it, Usopp had noticed the way Vivi had clenched her hands at Franky's exclamation.

Vivi then tended to Usopp's jaw and other wounds, and once she finished, Franky announced that now was as good a time as any to start working on the Merry, reminding them he promised to fix the damage caused by the fight with Yari. While Zoro and Vivi followed Brook back onto the Thousand Sunny, Usopp stayed behind to oversee Franky's progress. He just watched at first, but it wasn't long before he started making suggestions... and obviously, Franky didn't appreciate being told what to do where ships were concerned.

Hammering the last board in place, Franky nodded with satisfaction and stood up, striking his favorite pose. "YOW! Battle repairs complete and _super_, if I do say so myself! Told ya I knew what I was doing!"

Usopp got up and inspected the repairs Franky had made. He had to admit, they were perfect. It was like Merry had never been damaged in Yari's attack at all. It made everything he had fixed for the Merry, from the mast to the figurehead, look shoddy in comparison.

"It looks good," Usopp admitted, before crossing his arms proudly. "Though it's nothing compared to the fleet of galleons a far away kingdom once asked me to repair for them!"

Franky glanced at the metal plates bolted to the mast. "Something tells me if that's true, those ships sunk _super_ quickly afterwards."

"Shut up, jerk!" Usopp snapped at him. He placed one hand on Merry's mast. "Not that my own repairing skills aren't sufficient, but do you suppose you could... I don't know, do something about the mast? Or the other damages around the Going Merry? You are a shipwright after all."

The unspoken _and I'm not_ was evident in Usopp's voice. Nonetheless, Franky walked up to the mast, held up his hand, and a smaller hand popped out of the palm.

_He has a hand_ inside_ his hand?!_ Usopp thought, awestruck. _That's so cool!_

Franky knocked the knuckles of his smaller hand gently against the metal plates. "Hmmm... not exactly stable... it's fine for a temporary repair, but it won't last forever. I'd say with a break like this, it'd be better to just replace the entire mast."

Usopp scowled. Of all the inspiring things Luffy could have done for Laboon, why did snapping the mast off have to be part of it? He looked at Franky expectantly. "So, can you do that?"

"I could, but it's not like I can just pull a new mast out of thin air, bro," Franky said, retracting his second hand. "I'd have to either buy one or carve a new one entirely. I doubt there's a shipyard anywhere on this island, and carving a mast would take days. We just don't have that kind of time; I mean, we still have to decide whether or not we want to go find Luffy and the others or wait for them to come to us. Sorry bro, but as much as I want to, further repairs are just going to have to take a backseat right now."

Usopp deflated. "Oh. Okay, sorry I bothered you."

Usopp tried to swallow his disappointment. He hoped this Franky guy would join their crew soon in his time; the Going Merry could definitely use the TLC Franky would provide.

Franky smiled and began packing up his tools (in his arms, of all places). "Still, it's nice to be on board the Merry again. My time with her was pretty brief, but even then I could tell she was a work of art. Always has been, going off of what I've seen of her today."

"Brief?" Usopp asked, curious. "How 'brief' are we talking here? A week, a month...?"

"A little less than a day."

"WHAT?!"

Scratch that, Franky could wait as _long_ as possible before he joined the crew.

Franky finished packing his tools and gave Usopp a sheepish look. "Yeah, that wasn't a good week for any of us. To make a long story short, stuff happened and by the time I was able to sail on her she was beyond fixing. We laid her to rest and then I spent the next week building Sunny."

Usopp's eyes widened, and he turned to look at the brigantine anchored next to the caravel's starboard side. "You built this whole ship by yourself?"

"What? Nah, I had help from Water 7's Galley-La shipwrights, but the blueprints and design are completely mine." Franky grinned widely at his ship. "Carved from Adam Wood and built to my specifications, the Thousand Sunny is a dream ship meant to carry the King of the Pirates across any sea!"

Usopp gazed up at the cyborg in wonder. He sounded so sure of himself and clearly had pride in his work, but he wasn't bragging. It was as if he were simply stating a fact. The kind of confidence reminded him of Luffy, and Usopp could tell their captain was where Franky was getting it from.

First Brook, now Franky... newer to the crew and very weird, but they both totally got it. He shouldn't have been surprised.

Still... Usopp couldn't prevent the sadness that spread across his features. "I don't doubt the Sunny's amazing... it's just I kind of hoped Merry would be the ship that carried us to the One Piece."

"Hey, listen bro, Luffy had to make a decision that was best for the whole crew!" Franky blurted out panickedly. "He loved the Going Merry just as much as anyone, but she would have sunk if she kept sailing in that condition! He had to-"

"Franky, calm down!" Usopp interrupted, gesturing the cyborg to take it down a notch. "It's okay, I get it."

"... Eh?"

"The Going Merry was a gift from my friend Kaya, so I really wanted her gift to be the ship that carried us all to the end. But I guess... the Grand Line is a rough place. If the weather or a sea king's not causing damage, something else is. It makes sense that we'd have say goodbye at some point. I'm sad that we're going to have let Merry go in the future, but we still have her now, so from this point on I'm going to make sure she lasts as long as possible. I couldn't call myself the Great Captain Usopp if I let this obstacle keep me down!"

Usopp grinned at the cyborg to show just how fine he was. Franky, on the other hand, looked at Usopp as if he didn't understand a word the sniper just said. (Or at least that's what Usopp thought. It was kind of hard to tell with the sunglasses covering the cyborg's eyes.)

"What's with the weird look?" Usopp asked. "Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"No, there's nothing wrong," Franky admitted. "It's just you reacted _super _differently than I expected."

"How was I supposed to react then?"

Franky looked extremely uncomfortable, and almost ashamed. "Then again, I guess the circumstances are different than when Luffy told you about replacing Merry in the future."

"Franky, how did I react in the future?" Usopp insisted. "I know Brook told you about Luffy's gag order, but you can tell me with the bare minimum of details, can't you?"

For a moment, Usopp thought Franky wasn't going to say anything. But the cyborg finally sighed and stood up.

"I wasn't there for it, but you didn't take the news half as well as you're taking it now," Franky told him. "You and Luffy ended having a huge fight, and that's all you're getting out of me, brother."

Usopp thought the new information over. A huge fight? That didn't give him much to work with; 'a huge fight' could be interpreted any number of-

_"You idiot," his captain whispered. "You knew it would end like this! You knew you could never beat me!"_

_Usopp didn't reply. The last thing he remembered was the sound of Luffy's voice, sounding on the verge of tears._

Usopp broke into a cold sweat. No... there was no way... he knew he told Vivi that had felt more like a memory than a dream, but there was no way...

"Usopp-bro? You okay?" Franky asked with concerned. "You look like you're about to be sick."

"Um, no, I'm okay." He turned away quickly from the cyborg. "I'm going back on board the Sunny. Are you coming?"

"I was, but on second thought, it couldn't hurt give Merry a quick inspection," Franky said. "Maybe check to see if the keel is in good condition and stuff like that."

Usopp thought checking the keel was a little random, but Franky was the shipwright, so he guessed he knew best. The sniper walked up the gangplank connecting the two ships and stepped on to the Sunny's grassy deck (who the heck put grass on a pirate ship, anyway). One the first things he noticed was white steam pouring out of a hut-like structure at the stern.

"Hey, Franky!" Usopp called out. When the cyborg turned to look at him, he said, "Where's that steam coming from? Is it supposed to do that?"

"That's just the bathroom!" Franky called back. "I told Princess-sis where it was in case she wanted to clean up, but that was fifteen minutes ago! She must still be in there!"

"Okay, thanks!"

"No problem!"

Usopp was about to walk away, but stopped and once again shouted to Franky. "Uh, hey, Franky?! That fight you said I'm going to have with Luffy... was it more like a duel?!"

Franky almost did a double take. "What?! How the heck did you know that?!"

Usopp didn't answer, instead walking away from Sunny's railing morosely.

"Call it a hunch," he muttered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: The bathroom, Thousand Sunny<strong>

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Vivi blankly watched the stray drops of water fall from the bath tub's faucet. The water covering her body was almost scalding hot, proven by how steamy the air was, but at this point, the princess barely registered pain so minimal.

_"Look on the bright side; you have never been closer as a crew! How many pirates can say they have shared each other's pain?"_

Vivi lifted her hand out of the bathwater, and gently ran her fingers over the cut on her neck. That woman...

_"What are you doing here? Should you not be in Alabasta, preparing for this year's Reverie? The newspaper did say your father was too ill to go this year..."_

That horrible, awful woman. No matter how hard Vivi tried, Yari's venomous words kept echoing through her head. That snobby tone and condescending claims, how she took joy in the pain she caused... all were enough to make Vivi want to be sick. How could such a witch come out of Alabasta?

Alabasta...

How long had they been on Kāla so far? It had to have been at least more than a day since the super current dragged the Merry here. A lot could have happened in that time.

Vivi sunk into the bathwater until it came up to her chin. No, for once she wasn't worried about Alabasta in the now. Roronoa said the crew defeated Crocodile, and she didn't buy the "changed history theory" Nami explained to her; there were just too many possible contradictions. Whether or not they stayed on this island, she had a feeling Luffy's defeat of Crocodile and the saving of her country wouldn't change. And she wasn't worried about her father's future illness as much as she thought she would be. That was a long ways off and she was positive her father was perfectly healthy in the present.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

And though she knew she should be, she wasn't even worried about how close they had come to dying earlier. Mr. Franky and Mr. Brook had come in at just the right moment and saved them. They were both powerful and clearly could handle any further threats they would encounter. Mr. Roronoa was with Nami, Sanji, and Chopper, and it wouldn't be long before they had Luffy with them. They would be fine too.

So why did she still have this sick feeling in her stomach? Was it just an aftereffect from all the earlier pain, or was it just Yari getting to her in another way by not letting her forget her stupid words? 'What was she doing, should she not be in Alabasta?' Why Alabasta? Didn't she belong on this ship just as much as the others?

_"Now, where is all that brass you were showing off earlier?"_

_"Easy pickings, boys!"_

"S_hould you not be in Alabasta...?"_

_"Vivi? Carue? What are you doing here?"_

"_Last I checked, we left you in Alabasta-_"

"ARGHH!" Vivi shouted in frustration, sitting up straight and hurling a bottle of body wash against the wall. The cap popped off upon impact, sending the citrusy-smelling goo within the bottle splattering everywhere.

Vivi panted, observing the object that had received her wrath, then slumped back down into the water. What was wrong with her?

_Knock, knock_. "Vivi-san? Are you alright in there? You've been in there for a while, and I thought heard a crash!"

"Quaw!"

Vivi sat up straight again. "Oh, um, I'm fine, Mr. Brook! I just dropped something!"

"Alright, if you say so," Brook said through the door. "Anyway, I noticed your clothes were a little worse for wear, so Carue-san and I took the liberty of procuring you some fresh ones! They're some of Nami-san's old clothes, so I think they'll fit you."

"Quaw!" Carue added proudly.

"I also threw in some fresh bandages and gauze, just in case you need them. The wound on your neck isn't serious, but it wouldn't hurt to bandage that and the bruises on your back."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Brook!" Vivi called out.

"Yohohoho, no problem!"

The princess stepped out of the bath (which she liked very much- it reminded her of the one in the royal palace, only smaller) and grabbed a bathrobe off a hook on the wall. It was fluffy and soft, smelling faintly of flower blossoms. She also noticed, with some distaste, the robe was meant for a woman with a much larger bust. Still, she tied it closed the best she could and approached the door leading out of the bathroom. She was about to turn the knob when something occurred to her.

"Uh, Mr. Brook?" Vivi spoke up. "Did you go through Nami's closet or whatever to get those clothes?"

"One of her chests actually, but yes," the skeleton replied.

"Uh-huh. Any chance while going through them, did you stop to look at something... _else_?"

"... Would you believe me if I said no?"

Vivi sighed. She liked Mr. Brook, but he was hopeless. "Leave the stuff with Carue and go, please."

"Okay, okay, I will," Brook assured her. "Are you sure you don't need help in there though?"

"I'm sure."

"In that case, I'm off to find some fresh clothes for Usopp-san and Zoro-san! Bye!"

A minute later, Vivi opened the door a crack and peered through. Mr. Brook was gone, but Carue stood there with a pile of medical supplies and clothes on his back.

"Quaw, quaw!" Carue said, saluting her.

Vivi opened the door fully, ruffled Carue's feathers, then let the duck inside. Once she had shut the door, she examined the clothes Mr. Brook had brought, praying that they weren't too revealing. Fortunately, the outfit wasn't bad. It was simply a pair of jean shorts, a belt, and a cute yellow t-shirt decorated with orange flower designs. For a perverted skeleton, Mr. Brook certainly had a keen eye... or would it be more accurate to say Nami had good taste? She guessed it didn't matter.

Vivi first bandaged her wounds with aide from a surprisingly helpful Carue, then quickly changed into the new outfit. Mr. Brook had been right; they did fit her pretty well. After that she slipped on her shoes and pulled back her hair, then stepped out of the bathroom and into the little space adjacent, which held a sink and the trapdoor leading below.

Vivi turned to Carue. "The library is directly below us, right? I wasn't really paying attention before."

Carue nodded.

Vivi opened the trapdoor and carefully moved down the ladder. Carue opted to jump down rather than try to climb the darned thing again. After they had their feet on the ground, Vivi looked around.

The library was almost completely circular, with numerous shelves of books and a bench encircling the whole room. Windows were positioned at various spots around the room, letting light flood in. In the middle of the room was a mapping desk Vivi assumed belong to Nami, as well as a hexagon-shaped table that emerged from the floor that was surrounded by chairs. Vivi made her way over to the desk, which held a half finished map that was labelled "Fishman Island." Next to the map was a book with "Ship's Log" written on the cover.

Vivi picked the log up, debating whether or not looking at it would break Luffy's gag order. She decided it did and put it down.

... Maybe a quick peek wouldn't hurt. She picked the log up again and opened it to a random page.

_-That narcissist actually thought I would want to come with him to "Endless Vearth" or whatever he called it. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but considering he had taken out Zoro, Robin, Gan Fall, and Wiper so easily, I didn't want to risk what would happen if I refused him. I could only hope Luffy would show up soon and get me out of this. Luckily, he arrived just in time. I later asked him how he and Aisa got out of that snake, and he said-_

Vivi snapped the book shut. She wasn't so curious anymore, and Carue kept shooting her disapproving looks. The princess placed the log in the desk's drawer then continued to explore the room. She approached the book shelves and began scanning the titles.

_Modern Cartography for Advanced Use..._

_101 Tales of Daring Feats and Heroes..._

_The Barton Guide to Incurable Diseases..._

_Introduction to Devil Fruits and their Abilities _(Vivi actually flipped this one open and found that one page in particular, the page on the Clear Clear Fruit, was dog-eared and well-read)...

_Sailing and Ship Almanac for the Experienced __Shipwright..._

_The Great Symphonies of Amadeus Row the III..._

_Sword Care Quarterly..._

_The Culture of the Lost Civilization of Remuina..._

Vivi could guess just by the titles which books probably belonged to which Straw Hats. It appeared everyone had their own shelf dedicated to books of their interest. The only person who didn't appear to have one was Luffy, but then again, Vivi never took the rubberman as much of a reader.

As she further perused the shelf that held books on navigation and weather patterns, she came across something that didn't belong there. It was polished wooden box with a simple clasp on the lid. Vivi removed the box from the shelf, undid the clasp, and opened it. Within its confines, sitting in a bed of velvet, was an eternal pose.

"An eternal pose?" Vivi asked herself, holding the pose up to the light. Like Nami's log pose, the needle spun aimlessly. "Why would they have something like this locked away in a box?"

"Quaw, quaw!" Carue announced suddenly, gesturing his wing to the eternal pose's other side.

Vivi turned the pose in her hand and read the pose's label.

_Alabasta._

This was the same eternal pose Sanji had stolen from the Unluckies. The crew still had it after more than two years?

Vivi wasn't sure why, but she smiled softly (and if anyone else had seen that smile, they would have seen the hint of relief it contained) and held the pose close. Then she carefully placed the item back in its box and put it back on the shelf.

Vivi moved to another shelf, selected a book, and sat down on the bench that ran the circumference of the room. Carue curled up at the princess's feet, and the latter serenely started to read.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Men's quarters, Thousand Sunny<strong>

"Zoro-san? What are you doing in here?"

Zoro turned his head from where he sat at the room's kotatsu. Brook stood in the doorway, looking at the younger swordsman with an air of confusion.

"I thought you were resting in the infirmary," the skeleton went on. "Yari-san really put you through the wringer."

That was obvious even if he hadn't been around to see it. Zoro was covered in bandages, especially on his shoulder, and was still wearing the same blood stained clothes from earlier. He was also still shirtless from when Yari tore his shirt in half (though how the green haramaki remained unscathed was a mystery all its own). He had yet to even remove his bandanna, which was strange.

"Yeah, I know. I was there," Zoro replied in deadpan. He turned away. "I was looking for where Roronoa kept his weights, but found myself in here."

_Typical Zoro-san,_ Brook thought. "I don't think you should be training with the condition you're in."

"Worry about yourself. What are you doing in here anyway?"

Brook walked over to the lockers. "I came in here to find fresh clothes for you and Usopp-san, but since you're already in here, I suppose you could find something for yourself. Your locker is here on my left."

As Brook looked through Usopp's locker, he realized Zoro hadn't gotten up to look through his own. The musician turned and saw Zoro was still sitting in the exact same spot, only now he was staring at the wall. Or more specifically, he was staring at the wanted posters pinned to the wall.

"Oh, so you've noticed those, huh?" Brook walked over to the younger man. "I don't think Luffy-san wanted you to know about those just yet, but I guess it can't be helped now."

Zoro didn't respond, but his glance did dart briefly between Brook and the poster on the wall bearing the skeleton's name.

"Oh, yes, that's what I looked like when I was still alive!" Brook explained cheerfully. "Yohohoho, I was quite the handsome devil! Not that being bone doesn't have a certain aesthetic appeal- or at least that's what Robin-san told me."

The younger swordsman still didn't reply, and now Brook realized he was reading the amounts written on the posters. He twitched slightly when he read Luffy's, most likely wondering what the heck Luffy had done to be given a bounty that size.

Brook chuckled. "I have to say, when I first joined the crew I was surprised at how large many of your bounties were. In my day anything over 50 million was almost unheard of! Bounties like Nami-san's were much more common, and amounts like mine, Franky-san, and Usopp-san's were a little out of the ordinary."

"... Why is Usopp wearing a mask in his?" Zoro said at last.

"That's a long story, and I'm pretty sure Usopp-san embellished the details when he told it to me."

"... Cook's poster isn't here."

"Every time time we try to hang it up, Sanji-san burns it. While his bounty is quite high, the picture the Marines used for it isn't the best and Sanji-san despises it with a passion."

Zoro snorted briefly before regaining his serious demeanor. Brook sincerely hoped Zoro's next inquiry wasn't about why none of posters' pictures were current. He didn't want to have to explain_ that_ one or lie about it.

"Brook, tell me something," Zoro said in a soft, but firm, tone. "How did Roronoa lose his eye?"

"Why do you want to know that?" Brook cocked his head to the side as he thought about it. "Wait, are you thinking about what Yari-san said?"

"_So one has to wonder; what does he put _you _through in the next few years that causes you build a pain tolerance so high that you barely even feel it anymore? I do not know, but I bet it was excruciating. Maybe it involves why you are a cyclops in the future._"

"Just answer the question."

"I'm afraid I don't know. We never asked Roronoa-san and he hasn't offered up any information, so we respect his decision to remain silent. But I can assure you, Luffy had nothing to do with it despite what Yari-san may have implied."

"I already knew that witch was full of crap, don't worry," Zoro assured him. "Like Vivi said, Luffy would never do anything that would explicitly put the crew in danger he didn't think we could handle. I was just wondering if the eye had to do with other things."

"Like what? Her comment about pain tolerance?" Zoro's silence was answer enough. Brook began to walk back to the lockers. "I can only think of one situation where you were in enough pain to build such a high tolerance, and it's something I greatly respect you for."

That got a solid reaction from Zoro. He looked up abruptly with a mildly stunned expression.

"You shouldn't dwell _too_ much on the past or future," Brook said, pulling a shirt and shorts out of Usopp's locker. "It will only magnify your fears, worries, and regrets. This in turn can drive you out of your mind, even if the brain your mind was housed in rotted away many years ago. Look to the future for your goals and to the past for inspiration, but do not let these consume your thoughts."

Zoro said nothing as Brook finished speaking and closed the locker door.

"Well then, I should get these clothes to Usopp-san! The blood-stained outfit he has on now is an eyesore!" Brook said cheerfully. "Not that I have eyes anymore to get sore! Yohohoho!" He pointed to one of the lockers. "That one is yours if you want to get changed. See you later!"

Zoro silently watched the skeleton waltz out of the room, and once the door had closed, he sighed and removed his bandanna. He did not get that skeleton. He could go from goofy to serious to goofy again at the drop of a hat. And he respected Zoro for a situation where he was put through extreme pain?

-_the gaze of a man who had been cracked in several places and welded back together. A man who had not quite been broken, but came pretty close_-

Zoro knew the eyes of a broken man when he saw them, and he could tell how close his future self had come- even with the loss of one eye. What had almost broken him, and why would that warrant respect? He also had a gut feeling Luffy was involved. Did it have to do with the guilty looks Roronoa and Brook kept shooting Luffy in the beginning? Did he fail Luffy in some way and received agony for it? Luffy wouldn't have inflicted it- he wasn't like other pirates he'd faced over the years. Even then, why the respect, and how was Brook a part of it?

Zoro tiredly rubbed his temples. Perhaps he was over-thinking it, which was something he rarely did. The swordsman had never concerned himself with the future beyond defeating Mihawk and completing his promises to Kuina and, more recently, to Luffy. But for the first time in his life, he wanted to know what he was in for.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get the answers he wanted without deliberately disobeying Luffy's orders about the future. He had nearly disobeyed them now when he asked Brook about Roronoa's eye. The best he could hope for was that someone would slip up and reveal something. In the mean time, he would be patient, and if at the end he learned nothing, that would be that.

But he would find out what the deal was with the Love Cook's poster. That was a given.

Zoro got up from the kotatsu, retied his bandanna around his arm, and moved over the locker Brook had pointed to. He might as well get changed while he was in here.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: 25 minutes after sunrise<br>Location: Galley, Thousand Sunny****  
><strong>

"I called you all here because we have a _super_ important decision to make," Franky said, sitting at the head of the table. "We need to choose our next course of action. We can't just stay anchored here forever."

Once he'd finished his quick inspection of the Going Merry, Franky had used the intercom to call all hands to the Sunny's galley for an emergency meeting. Vivi came with Carue from the library, while Zoro arrived looking rather grouchy as he had just discovered the observatory's gym when the cyborg called. Brook came with Usopp, the former claiming he found the latter all the way down in the Soldier Dock bay. Usopp had apparently been doing some exploring. Franky quickly berated him about messing around down there and then started the meeting.

It was noticed that the past versions of the crew had received wardrobe changes. Vivi was in the clothes Brook brought her, of course, but the men had new ones as well. Usopp now wore a pair of cargo shorts and a green t-shirt with a black skull and crossbones on it. Zoro wore the usual dark pants tucked into his boots and his haramaki, but now also had on a mustard yellow short-sleeved jacket with the zipper left open- clearly showing that he had foregone wearing a shirt underneath.

Brook hadn't changed his clothes, but he now carried a fish-shaped guitar as opposed to the violin he had before. He strummed it gently as Franky spoke.

"I have narrowed down our choices to two possible options," Franky went on. "Either we stash the Sunny and Merry somewhere safe and go out looking for Young Luffy and co, or we stash Sunny and Merry somewhere safe and wait for them to come to us."

"It sounds like either way we're going to need to find 'somewhere safe' to hide our ships," Vivi reasoned. "We can't risk leaving them out in the open. I recall that Yari wanted to confiscate Merry before."

"Yeah, but only because Roronoa chopped up her group's galleon back on the beach," Usopp pointed out despairingly. "I should have known that was going to come back to bite us." He glared at Zoro. "Dang it, Zoro! Why do you have to be so impulsive?!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who cut it up! That was Roronoa!" Zoro argued. Even if he _had_ been the one to do it personally, he wouldn't have regretted it. Those cronies had it coming.

"Same difference!" Usopp scolded him. "Stop forgetting that you two are the same person!"

Zoro snarled, stood up, and slammed his palms against the table. "He may be me from another time, but we are _not_ the same person!"

Usopp was taken aback. What was with the sudden rage?

"Take it easy, guys!" Vivi broke in. "Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves!"

"Quaw!" Carue quacked in agreement.

"Princess-sis is right," Franky also agreed. "It's going to be kind of hard to fight the enemy if we're fighting each other, you know?"

Usopp and Zoro glared at each, but the sniper looked away testily while the swordsman sat back down.

"Thank you, Mr. Franky," Vivi said. "But do you mind not referring to me as 'princess'? Just 'Vivi' is fine."

Franky gave her a thumbs up. "Vivi-sis it is then!"

"No, I said just-" The princess sighed and cut herself off. "Never mind. 'Vivi-sis' is fine too."

"May I see your panties, Vivi-sis?!" Brook asked happily.

"NO!"

**_BONK!_**

"Yohohoho, how harsh, Vivi-san! You sure know how to make a rejection!" Brook said, rubbing the new bump on his skull- not that was anything there to swell. He started to play a lively tune on his guitar. _"Rejection! Rejection! Always faced with Vivi-san's rejection...!"_

Usopp gave a Brook a weary look. "You are such a pervert."

"Somebody talking about me?!" Franky announced proudly.

Zoro slammed his fist into the cyborg's head. "'PERVERT' IS _NOT_ A COMPLIMENT!"

This action only served to create more silliness and shouting. It was at least another minute before the group calmed down enough to continue formulating a plan as to what they were going to do next.

"If the issue of finding a hiding place is first on the agenda, I think I know a spot," Franky said. "Right before I beat that jelly-boned freak, I found this huge cove in the side of a cliff that should be able to hold both Merry and Sunny. It's not too far from here actually."

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Franky-san," Brook spoke up. "How _did_ you beat Runo-san?"

Franky raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Back during the fight on the Lamb-chan, I overheard Yari-san mumble something about telling Runo-san about hypnotism with music as a medium. Therefore, this gives me reason to believe that Runo-san is the hypnotist we've been dreading to meet."

"You mean this Runo is the one who hypnotized Tattoos into killing himself?!" Vivi gasped.

"Precisely, Vivi-san."

Usopp slumped and groaned. "I think I just came down with if-I-fight-a-hypnotist-I'll-die disease."

"Stop belly-aching, Usopp," Zoro said gruffly. "Franky said he already beat him, remember?"

Usopp straightened up. "I'm cured!"

"Now that you mention it, I think he did try some weird hypnotism stuff. He had a watch and everything." Franky waved his large hand nonchalantly. "I broke the watch, and then he tried to attack me head on. The punk was barely stronger than he looked, so I _super_ kicked his ass and that's all she wrote!"

Usopp and Carue looked at Franky as if he were a figure to be venerated. Zoro just rolled his eyes, and Vivi smiled at Franky's enthusiasm.

"In that case, congratulations on defeating one of our adversaries all by yourself, Franky-san!" Brook congratulated. "I'm glad we don't have to worry about a frightening hypnotist anymore! I always found hypnotism to be very creepy!"

"Like you're one to talk about being creepy?" Zoro said with a sweatdrop. "And didn't you use hypnotism with music back on the Merry?"

Brook either ignored him or didn't notice the accusation.

"In any case, this cove sounds like our best bet," Vivi said while petting Carue.

Usopp crossed his arms and nodded. "I agree fully! And once we got Merry and Sunny set, then we can decide whether to stay or go! Personally, I think we should wait for Luffy and the others to come to us."

"But what if they don't come?" Brook asked. "What if they decide to look for the rest of my crew, and we're left there in the cove all alone, just waiting to be ambushed."

"On second thought, let's hold off deciding on what to do until we get there!" Usopp declared, rectifying his previous statement.

"Perfect, that settles it! Now there's only one thing left to do!" Franky stood up from his seat and turned to Usopp. "Usopp-bro, I need you to do me a favor."

"A favor?" Usopp repeated, "What kind of favor?"

"Press my nose for three seconds."

"... Why?"

"Just trust me on this."

Usopp shrugged and stood, balancing on his toes so he could reach the cyborg's nose. Franky leaned over a little to make it easier for the younger man. Usopp reached up and pressed Franky's nose like a button.

Three... two... one...

_**BOING!**_

Franky's buzz-cut burst into a blue shark-fin hairdo. Usopp tumbled backward in surprise, as did Carue.

"Hair came out!" Usopp shouted.

"Quaw quaw quaw!" Carue quacked, assumably the same thing but in duck language.

"_YOW!_ What do you think?" Franky asked energetically. "I'm feeling especially nostalgic this week, so I thought I'd wear the hairdo I had back when I first met you guys!"

"It looks good, Franky-san!" Brook compliment the shipwright. "Next you should try an afro!"

"Awesome!" Usopp yelled with excitement. He got back on his feet. "How is it physically possible to be this amazing?!"

Carue bobbed his head enthusiastically. "Quaw quaw!"

"I'm more than just amazing, brother." Franky leaned to the side and put his arms together. "I'm _SUPER_! _SU~PER FRANKY_!"

"SUPER!" Usopp echoed, striking the same pose.

Carue attempted to do the pose as well. "QUAW!"

Zoro facepalmed, but you could see the faintest shadow of a smile on his lips. Brook and Vivi both laughed at the cyborg, sniper, and duck's antics. What else would you expect from members of the Straw Hats, past or future?

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Unknown<strong>

"Any word yet?"

"Yes. The lookouts all say they see both of the Straw Hats' ships approaching."

"Excellent. Now you can all just sit back and watch the magic happen."

"They're not here _yet_, moron. Your oh-so perfect plan still might not succeed."

"Oh ye of so little faith. Come guys, trust me on this! When have I ever let you down?"

"There _was_ that time on Xuhl Cay-"

"Rhetorical, Vampire Boy."

"I'm _not_ a _vampire_."

"Just keeping sitting there and looking pretty. I don't need you 'accidentally' releasing the captives once we have them in our grasp."

"Humph."

"Humphs are for camels."

"Shut your sister up, Dancing Haze."

"_Never call me that_. Now, all of you shut up! They'll be here any minute!"

* * *

><p><strong>Time: 35 minutes after sunrise<strong>  
><strong>Location: Just outside of the Secret Cove, in <strong>Kāla's northwestern sector<strong>**

As Franky had predicted, it hadn't taken long to sail the ships to the cove he had told them about (or more accurately the Sunny sailed there while towing the Merry behind her). Fortunately, there had been a favorable wind blowing in the direction they needed to go.

"See, what'd I tell ya?" Franky shouted from Sunny's helm. "This cove is perfect for stashing Sunny and Merry!"

Usopp stood with Brook at Sunny's bow, right next to the figurehead.

"My goodness, it's enormous!" Brook observed.

"It looks like you could fit a giant in there!" Usopp added.

From what they could see, the entrance to the cove was a massive hole in the side of a cliff and was bordered on both sides by thin stretches of beach. It was large enough and wide enough to easily let two of Sunny pass through. Craggy rocks stood around the entrance, giving it an eerie appearance despite the bright sunshine.

"I had no idea the island would even have cliffs this size," Usopp admitted as they sailed closer. "I guess it gets more mountainous the father north you go."

"Though I'd hate to fall from such a high cliff," Brook said grimly. "I would easily break my back... oh wait! I don't have a proper back anymore! Yohohoho!"

"But you'd still break your spinal column," Usopp pointed out dryly.

Brook stopped laughing. "... Don't be so morbid, Usopp-san. _I'm_ supposed to be replacing Robin-san in the dark comments department."

"Stop making me afraid of meeting this Robin lady!"

"Oi, Usopp-bro!" Franky called out. "You and Brook hop back on the Merry and take the helm! I need you two to navigate the old girl past those rocks, got it?"

"Got it!" the young man and skeleton replied. They stepped away from the figurehead and left to do just that.

While that exchange occurred between those three, Vivi, Zoro, and Carue stood vigilantly next to the Sunny's railing. They watched as the ship approached the mouth of the cove.

"Big trees, big cove," Vivi rattled off. She giggled. "This place is starting to give Little Garden a run for its money. Who knows, maybe we'll meet a warrior giant in there as well."

Zoro didn't comment. In fact, it appeared he hadn't heard Vivi speak at all. His brow was furrowed, as if in deep thought.

"Mr. Bushido, did you hear me?" Vivi raised a finger to poke his good shoulder. "Mr. Bushi-"

Zoro caught Vivi's hand before she could poke him, and shot her a quick glare. He raised a finger to his lips to shush her and motioned for her to crouch down, doing so himself right after.

Vivi crouched down (as did Carue when he saw what his mistress was doing) and whispered, "Is there a problem, Mr. Bushido?"

"There might be," Zoro replied sternly. "I've been thinking about Franky's story. Something about it doesn't make sense."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like what he told us about Runo. For a tough New World bounty hunter, he sure sounded like a weakling. Yari, however, said she was only the fifth strongest in the group. Wouldn't that make Runo stronger than her if he was one of the top members?"

Neither of them needed a reminder as to how powerful Yari had been.

"The rumors I heard about the Baba Twins in Alabasta did hail Runo as the stronger of the two," Vivi confessed. "Physically, anyway. That doesn't mean Mr. Franky couldn't have still beaten him."

"Without getting a scratch on that paint job of his? Doubtful." Zoro leaned forward. "That brings me to another thing; remember when Yari said how she should thank your father for banishing her?"

"... Yes. What of it?"

"She said that if _they_ had never been banished, then_ they_ would have never gotten_ their_ powers."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Runo has devil fruit abilities too."

Zoro nodded. "Exactly. I didn't hear Franky say anything about devil fruits or fighting style or any type of useful information in his story. Did you?"

Vivi shook her head. "No. Now that you've pointed it out, I suppose his story was rather vague." She started to stand up. "I'll go ask him-"

Zoro yanked her back down. "Don't even think about it!"

"What are you-?!"

"Don't let Franky know we're on to him!" Zoro scolded her in a harsh whisper. "Let's just see how this plays out. Okay?"

Vivi reluctantly nodded, and Zoro let Carue help the blue-haired girl stand. Vivi returned to looking over the railing, but Zoro instead made his way over to Franky by the helm.

"What's up, Zoro?" Franky greeted cordially. "What were you and Vivi-sis talking about all secret-like just now?"

"None of your business," Zoro told him coolly.

"... You two aren't a thing, are you?"

"HELL NO!"

* * *

><p>The Thousand Sunny and Going Merry, thanks to Franky's guidance and Brook and Usopp's steering, were able to clear the rocks with minimal difficulty. The inside of the cove was as equally impressive as the outside. Inside it was more like a dark, huge cavern, with sheer rock faces and stalactites and stalagmites. Erosion had carved natural walkways and paths along the walls. There was even a decent sized beach on the inside that would disappear with high tide (if the tides even worked normally with the weird nightday thing that was going on). On the far end of the cove's beach was an opening in the rock, most likely leading into a tunnel to the outside.

The water was deep enough that they didn't have to pull in the ships too far. They dropped their respective anchors when Franky announced it was okay to do so. Zoro had to jump over to Merry to help Usopp and Brook drop Merry's anchor, but it was an easy job for him. Soon everyone gathered back up on the Sunny's main deck and took in the sight around them.

Zoro whistled. "Have to admit, this is a decent hiding spot."

"Isn't it?" Franky crossed his arms, looking around. "I didn't think it'd come in handy so soon though."

"Handy indeed," Brook agreed. "Now that we're here, I suppose we should decide whether or not we're staying here or going after Luffy-san and the others."

"It would make more sense to go after them," Vivi pointed out. "They wouldn't know how far we've sailed since we split up."

"But the jungle's filled with bounty hunters who want to kill us," Usopp argued in a dejected tone. "Or worse, something _else_ is waiting there to kill us."

"The bounty hunters won't kill us," Brook said in a sensible manner. "That would drop our bounties' value."

"Don't say stuff like that so casually, Brook!"

"Just filling my role as the temporary Robin-san!"

"What is _wrong_ with this woman?!"

"I say we go after Luffy," Zoro said. "As Brook pointed out earlier, there's no telling what he and everyone else will do out there. We could be here for hours waiting for them to show up."

"Hows about we vote?" Franky suggested. He raised one hand. "I vote we stay. I'd rather we didn't leave the ships alone, hiding place or not."

"I vote we go. Sitting here doing nothing won't help anything," Zoro voted.

Brook raised his hand. "I vote we go look for Luffy-san as well."

"I vote we go," Vivi said, raising her hand.

"I vote we stay!" Usopp yelled as he lifted his hand. "I'm not going to risk going to prison when Luffy can take care of himself, and has Roronoa and Sanji to back him up!"

"And I also vote you stay, because it makes things easier for us!"

Before the Straw Hats could look up at the owner of the foreign voice, blinding lights flared to life around the cove. This left the Straw Hats blinded for a few seconds until the spots in their vision cleared. When the spots did clear, the crew almost wished they hadn't.

Along the natural walkways and cliffs stood the very same bounty hunter lackeys they had defeated earlier. All had some form of bandage on their bodies and all were clearly wounded, but what they lacked in intimidating appearance they made up for in the sheer anger they radiated. And big weapons. Every single one of them held a very, very big gun, and every single one of those guns were aimed at the Straw Hats. There was a simultaneous clicking sound as gun barrels were cocked.

On the largest cliff, which hung over the cove's beach, stood four people- two men and two women. Only one of the women was familiar- an undoubtedly pissed-off Yari.

The lead man, who bore a strong resemblance to Yari, turned to the other man. "And you said the flood lamp dials were overkill."

"Only because Yari said it first," the other man, who had blood-red eyes, replied.

The Straw Hats ignored this brief conversation, instead focusing on the fact the woman who had caused them so much pain was back on her feet.

"HOLY CRAP! SHE'S BACK!" Usopp hollered, pointing at Yari.

"That didn't take long!" Vivi said in shock.

"I guess it was too much to hope that she drowned," Zoro muttered.

Yari snarled and stepped forward, ready to unsheathe her sword. The lead man put his arm out in front of her, however, to stop her from her impulsive action. He gave the pirates below a friendly smile.

"Please pardon my manners. I haven't introduced myself, have I?" He placed one hand on his chest. "My name's Runo- I'm Yari's big brother! Blondie's name is Erity, and the vampire is Vaughan."

The other two people looked to be in just as much as bad mood as Yari was, and Runo's nicknames for them didn't seem to help.

(Why weren't they in a good mood? For starters, Yari wasn't in a good mood because she had been beaten by a skeleton, punched in the face by a princess, wounded, humiliated, and forced to use bandages as a shirt because they weren't going back to camp until later. Vaughan wasn't in a good mood due to having given Yari mouth-to-mouth earlier and being told to "sit and look pretty" so no more 'accidents' would occur when the Straw Hats arrived. Erity wasn't in a good mood because... okay, she didn't really have a reason- Erity was always in a bad mood. The only person who wasn't about bite anyone's head off was Runo, and his unusually cheery attitude was grating on everyone else's nerves.)

"Runo?!" Vivi exclaimed. "_Baba_ Runo?!"

Runo bowed, as if he were a gentleman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Vivi. You are just as beautiful as Queen Titi."

Vivi knew she shouldn't let herself be flattered, but she couldn't stop the faint blush that spread across her cheeks.

Zoro turned angrily towards Franky. "So what was that about you kicking his ass? 'Cuz he doesn't look like he's had his ass kicked recently!"

"You know, I don't think Usopp-san will appreciate being replaced as the liar," Brook added, sounding disappointed in the cyborg.

"HEY!" Usopp protested.

Their accusations went unheard by the shipwright. Franky just emotionlessly stared at the feral-looking man standing above.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid the news of my defeat may have been a _tad_ bit exaggerated," Runo apologized with near-genuine sympathy. He clucked his tongue. "And now look at you- you've fallen right into my trap." He shrugged. "And here I thought the overall low IQ of your crew was just a rumor."

"_HEY, __SHUT UP__!_" the Straw Hats collectively protested.

"If your idea of a trap is a cheap ambush, then you've got a lot to learn!" Zoro shouted, gripping Kitetsu. "We're not afraid of taking you on, even if you're from the New World!"

"Yeah, what he said!" Usopp shouted, though he was shaking from fear.

"Yeesh, I thought blind confidence was only Straw Hat's thing," Vaughan observed. "It looks like it extends to his entire crew. Figures."

Usopp and Brook stared at Vaughan for second, before both screaming, "_VAMPIRE! SCARY!"_

_"I AM NOT A VAMPIRE!_" Vaughan hollered in aggravation, a vein pulsing violently on his forehead. He pointed at Brook. "And you have no room to talk, Soul King!"

Erity burst out laughing. "Yuhahahaha! Every single damn time! Vaughan, you poor jerk! _Yuhahahaha_!"

The pirates flinched at Erity's laugh. It was extremely masculine for a woman's laugh, and it unnerved them.

"Please excuse Vaughan's temper," Yari said flatly, speaking at last. "It has... _shortened_ somewhat since his encounter with your captain."

"You fought Luffy?" Usopp asked worriedly.

Vaughan went from angry to calm in the blink of an eye. "Yeah, and the concern in your voice is well-placed. Straw Hat wasn't looking his best when I last saw him."

The deliberate taunt in his tone aroused anger within the Straw Hats, as well as concern. Did that mean Luffy was-

"Relax, we don't have him in custody," Erity said to them. She whacked Vaughan upside the head. "This idiot let him get away."

The Straw Hats relaxed, but only a little.

Vaughan rubbed his head and glared at Erity. "Didn't I already apologize for that?"

"No."

"Oh. In that case, I am _sincerely_ sorry."

"No you're not. Don't apologize unless you mean it, Enoch."

"Enough!" Zoro interrupted. He drew Kitetsu. "Did you come here to talk or collect our bounties?!"

Vaughan smirked at the pirate hunter. "Straw Hat said the exact same thing back in the jungle."

"Then you know like Luffy-san, we will not surrender so easily," Brook said, unsheathing Soul Solid.

"Your trap isn't going to stop us from taking you all down!" Vivi shouted, drawing her peacock slashers. "We beat your lackeys before, and we can do it again!"

Runo looked around the cove in mock surprise. "Oh... oh! You think all _this_ is the trap?" He chuckled. "The expendable lackeys and the guns aren't the trap."

Usopp visibly paled, holding his slingshot. "It's not?"

"No, it's not._ This_ is." Runo snapped his fingers. "Cyborg Franky, the intermission is over. Please gather the cast."

All of sudden, Brook, Vivi, Zoro, Usopp and Carue were all gathered into Franky's arms from behind. The unexpected action caused them all to drop their respective weapons. The shipwright locked his hands together, effectively caging them in his embrace. And the tightness of that embrace was making it difficult to breathe.

"What the hell!" Zoro shouted.

"Mr. Franky, what are you doing?!" Vivi asked pleadingly, gasping for breath.

"Quaw!" Carue added.

"He's crushing us! Franky, what is wrong with you?!" Usopp cried out.

Franky stood there, grim-faced and quiet. His nakamas' shouts were not reaching him, a fact that was pleasing Runo greatly, if his grin was any indication.

Brook didn't yell anything specific beyond making distressed shouts. One of his arms was actually free and flailed about. The musician's bony limb got close to Franky's face, knocking off the latter's sunglasses.

"Everyone!" Brook shouted. "Look at Franky-san's eyes!"

They did (seeing as struggling against Franky's arms wasn't doing anything) and saw that his eyes were blank and glassy, just like Tattoo's had been right before he shot himself.

_His eyes- he's in a trance?_ Zoro thought.

"Ah, the eyes. Always a dead giveaway," Runo sighed. He grinned ferally. "By now I assume you've figured it out. Franky is under _my_ control."

"But when did you-" Usopp started to ask.

"He wasn't lying when he said I attacked him on that lion ship," Runo explained. "The only false thing about that report was him winning. In reality he lost, _badly_ I might add, and has been in a trance ever since."

"How is that possible?!" Usopp hollered, sound more mad than afraid now. "Franky... he..."

_"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! WILL YOU BE QUIET AND JUST LET ME DO MY JOB?!"_

"... he was so lively..."

_"I was, but on second thought, it couldn't hurt give Merry a quick inspection."_

"... and considerate..."

_"I'm feeling especially nostalgic this week, so I thought I'd wear the hairdo I had back when I first met you guys!"_

Usopp gritted his teeth. "... He acted nothing like someone under a feral freak's mind control! It's not possible!"

"Oh come off it!" Runo scoffed. He ran a hand through his bangs. "Do you have _any_ idea how painfully _simple_ it is to hypnotize someone into _acting_ like they're _not_ hypnotized? All I had to do was plant a posthypnotic suggestion telling him to act normal until I gave him the right command! That same suggestion told him to give that bogus escape story and lead you to this cove at any cost! You accepted him into your stronghold and he brought about your destruction!" He threw back his head, covered his eyes with one hand, and chuckled sadistically. "He was my very own Trojan Horse, and the poor sap doesn't even know it. I'd hate to be him when he wakes up."

"Shut up!" Usopp screeched, tearing up a little. "Let him go!"

"Make me, Longnose. I have no obligation to listen to you. Don't think I've forgotten all the stress your future self has caused me."

The violet-haired man continued chuckling for solid minute, effectively weirding out every occupant of the cove. (Except Yari- she was used to it.)

"It was so lucky for me that I happened upon him," Runo went on. He lowered his head and slid his hand down his face. "I had just lost my new reindeer teddy. Any child hates losing a toy, but also like any child, I easily acquired a new one to make myself feel better. I got myself a brand new toy _robot_."

Vaughan side-glanced Erity and spun his finger around his ear- the universal sign for 'cuckoo.' Erity nodded in agreement.

"And it was so easy too, thanks to the Hypno Hypno Fruit I ate." Runo tapped the air, creating a quick splash of color. "Any part my being- my voice, my movements, these colors I weave- can be used to entrance new toys to be put at my disposal. Who knows, maybe Boss Carrion will let me make you my toys before we turn you in. Yari still wants her princess doll."

Yari smiled at her brother.

Runo was definitely related to Yari- every word out of his mouth only served to fan the flames of of their fury. The most irritating part about it was that it was evident that he knew he was angering them. He simply didn't care and even thought it was fun- it was fun to refer to their comrade as a _toy_. There was also the implication he had Chopper- the future one at least- under his thrall. Thankfully, his claims also said the little doctor had escaped somehow, but the fact the hypnotist even got _close_ to Chopper fanned the flames even hotter.

Zoro grunted as he shot Runo a stare filled with promises of death. "Anyone mind if I slash this guy to ribbons?"

"I'll gladly aide you, if we can get out of Franky-san's grasp!" Brook offered. "It's getting hard to breath, though I have no lungs!"

"Save the jokes for later, Mr. Brook!" Vivi scolded him, then coughed.

Runo clearly didn't see their threats _as_ threats, for he was now cockily going on about something that had nothing to do with the situation.

"I knew my plan would work! This calls for celebratory food!" Runo turned around to face the other three. "Vaughan, give me my bento!"

Vaughan crossed his arms. "I don't have it."

"What do you mean you don't have it?"

"I gave it to Straw Hat."

"Wha- why?!"

"Because I know for a fact you rigged that coin toss."

"_What_?!"

"Seriously? You're mad about that?" Erity asked skeptically. "But right after you made that face-fault, you said you didn't care that you had to watch the brat. You said you were going to volunteer anyway."

Vaughan shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing."

Vivi took advantage of the bounty hunters' inane argument to start formulating a plan. They had to get out of Franky's grip, then they could escape. But how to make him let go...

That was when Vivi noticed what part of Franky's body her foot was close to and mentally groaned. She really didn't want to do_ that_, but she saw no other way.

"Boys, get ready to run," she whispered.

"Eh?" the boys muttered in confusion.

_Forgive me, Mr. Franky. It's nothing personal!_ Vivi thought, raising her leg as high as it could with the position she was in. _I just hope he still feels it even while in a trance!_

Before anyone could realize what she was doing, Vivi swiftly brought her leg down and rammed her foot into... a part of Franky's anatomy that had been viciously abused on at least one other occasion.

The hypnotized shipwright gave a cry that sounded like a wounded piglet and immediately dropped the captive pirates, princess, and duck, presumably to cover the body part that needed more attention. He never had the chance to, for Zoro planted a kick in Franky's chest that sent the cyborg flying into the Sunny's foremast. He may not be the swirly cook, but even Zoro knew how to land a decent kick.

The now freed pirates bent down, scooped up their dropped weapons, and began running across the Sunny's deck towards the figurehead. One by one they climbed to the top of the lion-sunflower and jumped off, landing on the beach. Once they were all off, they made a break for the exit in the back of the cove.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but how could you do that, Vivi?!" Usopp demanded to know from the princess. "You never kick a man there!"

"I sympathize with Franky-san, though I no longer have any of that to be kicked myself," Brook said in an oddly sorrowful tone.

"TMI, Brook!"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't see you guys thinking of anything! It got him to let go at least!" Vivi sighed and returned her focus to the exit ahead. "Never mind! Let's focus on getting out of here before they come after us!"

"They're not coming after us," Zoro muttered.

Usopp, Brook, and Vivi turned to look at him. Zoro gestured up the cliff where Runo and the others resided. As he said, they weren't coming after them, as were none of the lackeys. They were done arguing and aware that they had escaped Franky. They just weren't doing anything about it.

They had gone through all the trouble of trapping them, so why weren't they trying to prevent their escape?

* * *

><p>"They escaped your 'toy robot.' Now what, Master Planner?" Erity asked sarcastically.<p>

"Franky's strong, but he can be kind of a weakling," Runo said. "Luckily, I plan for every contingency. You lot don't even need to lift a finger."

He snapped his fingers.

* * *

><p>The Straw Hats were only a few feet away from the exit, when suddenly their path was engulfed with fire. The pirates skidded to a halt and stumbled backward to avoid the inferno.<p>

"Whoa!" Zoro shouted. "What the-!"

Zoro was then kicked in the gut and sent flying into his friends, which as a result sent them all tumbling back a couple yards. It happened so fast they never saw the assailant.

"Mr. Bushido!" Vivi cried out worriedly, untangling herself from Brook. "Are you okay?!"

"Where in the Four Blues did that fire come from?!" Usopp wondered aloud, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Brook helped Zoro stand, and gently prodded his chest. "I think you may have bruised a rib or two Zoro-san."

Zoro knocked his hand away and panted, "I'm fine. I don't know what the deal is with the fire, but I'd recognize that bastard's kick anywhere."

"Bastard?" Vivi echoed.

"You left too soon," an empty, deep voice said.

From the flames emerged a figure. It was a fairly tall and muscular man in his early twenties, wearing a fine black suit that had gold buttons, black tie, polished dress shoes, and a golden-yellow dress shirt. He had messy blond hair that fell in front of his right eye, a trimmed black goatee, and the beginnings of a mustache. His only visible eye was as glassy as Franky's.

What caught the Past Straw Hats' attention was what was above his eye; his eyebrow, which curled downward. They only knew of one man with eyebrows like that.

"Sanji?!" Vivi gasped.

"No, he looks different!" Usopp pointed out. "That must be Future Sanji!"

"You're right; that is Future Sanji-san!" Brook confirmed. "Runo-san must have gotten to him!"

Zoro raised his own eyebrow. "Cook's other eyebrow swirls _down_? How does that work?"

The others glared at him hard. That was hardly the point here.

Sanji removed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it on the flames behind him. He took a drag, then said, "Playtime's not over. You can't leave yet."

His voice was bland, cold, and almost mechanical. The hypnotized cook suddenly lept forward and ran towards the group ahead of him. Zoro was the first to retaliate. He drew all three swords and dashed towards the cook, ready to counterattack at any moment.

"Zoro-san, wait! Don't fight him!" Brook called out.

"Remember what happened when Sanji challenged _your_ older self?!" Usopp added desperately.

Zoro remembered perfectly well. He could feel the strength this Sanji had back when he kicked him. But in the long run, Brook, the only future Straw Hat here not hypnotized, would be needed to take on the bounty hunters. He could at least hold off the Love Cook.

Once the swordsman and chef got close to each other, Sanji rapidly spun in place and kicked out his leg. Zoro lifted Yubashiri and Kitetsu to guard. It was a standard block he had used many times against Sanji in the past.

Only in the past, Sanji's foot wasn't freaking _on fire_.

"What the_ hell_?!" Zoro hollered.

The cook's foot glowed bright red with heat and crackled with flames. The metal of his own swords were beginning to glow as well for the transfer of heat.

"What the- did Sanji eat a devil fruit?!" Vivi asked Brook.

"No, he heated up his leg with that spinning from before!" Brook answered. "It's his most devastating technique!"

Sanji pushed off of the katana. "_Sky Walk!_"

The entranced chef lept into the air, using Zoro's swords as a launching pad, and _stayed there_. The cook was literally walking on air until he was directly above his target... which was not the green-haired man.

* * *

><p>"Hmm," Erity hummed. "That's new. Sanji-lolly couldn't do that before."<p>

"I thought no one outside of CP9 were supposed to know Rokushiki," Yari said mockingly.

Erity scowled. "Put a sock in it. That's just what CP9 wants you to think." She paused. "Hey, wait, how do you know about CP9?"

"I have connections."

* * *

><p>"Sanji!" Vivi cried out.<p>

"He's going to attack us first!" Usopp realized in panic.

Carue moved in front of Vivi, and Brook took out Soul Solid, the sword already becoming coated in frost.

"_Diable Jambe..._" Sanji whispered so softly, they just barely heard it. His other leg ignited. "..._Poêle à Frire: Spectre!"_

Seconds before the attack made contact, a thick mass shoved into the Brook and the others, pushing them out of range.

"Dumbass Cook!" the moss-haired 'mass' shouted. "Your fight is with _me_!"

It was an almost depressing thought, but Zoro never stood a chance. There was no conceivable chance he could dodge, so he raised his swords up to deflect Sanji's attack in any way he could, but it was futile. The chef repeatedly kicked his flaming limbs down in a fiery onslaught of power. All kicks hit Zoro and tore up the ground beneath him. Soon there was so much dust and smoke that you couldn't even see the swordsman anymore.

"ZORO!" Usopp screamed.

"MR. BUSHIDO!" Vivi shrieked.

Vivi, Usopp, and Carue, both attempted to rush to the swordsman's side, but Brook grabbed them by the backs of their shirts before they could.

"Stop! It's no use!" he yelled at them, his voice filled with regret. "Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"

The air around the attack site seemed to explode, and then it all stopped. Sanji allowed himself to fall back to the ground and land on his feet. He took another drag as the smoke cleared. The Past Straw Hats were almost afraid to see...

... With good reason. The smoke cleared to reveal that Zoro, miraculously, was still standing. That was the only good news. The man was charred all over, smoke rose generously from his body, and the crew could smell burning flesh from where they stood. Zoro's new clothes were remarkably still in one piece, but Roronoa wasn't to be happy about all the burn marks.

He must have been in unbelievable pain, but he still stood with a death grip (and the Straw hats dearly hoped that expression was still just an expression in this situation) on all three swords. His eyes were even still open, though all that was visible were the whites of his eyeballs.

Sanji slowly walked over to the swordsman and lightly tapped his chest. Zoro crumpled to the ground, and the bounty hunters standing on the walkways around the cove all cheered with triumph.

Sanji looked up, his eye still glassy and unfeeling. "Who wants to play next?"

Tears ran down Vivi's cheeks. This wasn't happening. Everything was supposed to be getting better; they had found the Sunny, the shipwright, and had time to rest. Why couldn't they have noticed that Franky was hypnotized sooner? They could have avoided this!

Carue, sensing her distress, nuzzled her leg. Vivi fell to her knees and hugged the duck's neck. She wanted this to end. She wanted to get back on the Merry and sail to Alabasta. Facing Crocodile was preferable to having to suffer through this.

While Vivi was having a breakdown, Usopp was having a wholly different, and uncharacteristic, reaction.

"That bastard," Usopp whispered. Tears exploded from his eyes. "THAT DAMN BASTARD! HOW COULD HE DO THIS?!"

The sniper turned on his heel and drew back the cord of his sling shot, aiming the ammunition at Runo. The latter had yet to even notice.

_If I take him out_, Usopp thought, _then his devil fruit powers will deactivate and Sanji and Franky will return to normal! We can save Zoro and get out of here_!

"Put that away, Usopp-san," Brook said, placing a bony hand around the sniper's wrist. "It won't do any good."

"I don't care!" Usopp snapped, turning to glare at the skeleton. "Did you see what he made Sanji do to Zoro?! He needs to-!"

Usopp froze when he saw Brook's face. The elder pirate may not have been able to show real expressions, but this was the grimmest and most dark Usopp had ever seen him. There was no trace of the cheerful skeleton who made corny jokes and asked perverted questions.

"You attack him, and he and the other three will join in the fight," he said with reprimand. "He alone took down Franky-san; what hope do you have?"

Usopp grit his teeth, but lowered his slingshot.

Brook visibly brightened. "Besides, I've seen Zoro-san take more damage than that and survive, so I'm sure he'll be just fine!" The old musician became serious again. "Now, I have come to the conclusion that only one of us will be able to escape. It's the job of the other two to ensure that that person makes it to the exit. Do you understand, Usopp-san?"

Usopp could easily tell who Brook was referring to, and for once, he didn't wish he was the escapee. He understood the only person who could easily escape was the one who had nothing to offer the bounty hunters.

Brook calmly stepped over to the person in question. "Vivi-san."

Vivi looked up from where she had her face buried into Carue's neck. "W-What is it, Mr. Brook?"

"Please forgive us for what we're about to do," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Forgive you for-?"

"_Now_, Usopp-san!"

The sniper and musician grabbed Vivi and did what was possibly the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas; they threw her towards Sanji.

Vivi screamed, then grunted when she bounced to the ground. The whole while she thought, _What were they thinking_?! She quickly stood up and found herself nose to nose with Sanji.

"Oh crap," she whispered.

Upon seeing where Vivi had landed, Usopp shook Brook by his shirt. "What the heck, Brook?! I thought we were _saving_ Vivi, not dooming her!"

"We _are_ saving her!" Brook said through the shaking. "Just watch!"

Vivi went rigid, preparing herself for whatever fiery oblivion Runo was going to make him do to her.

Sanji stared at Vivi, and without so much as another thought, walked past her.

Vivi blinked. _Huh?_

* * *

><p>"Why didn't he take her down?!" Runo shouted in frustration. "His orders are to take down all of the Straw Hats!"<p>

"Speaking of taking guys down, Pirate Hunter's still alive, right?" Vaughan asked.

"Of course he is! It's faint, but I know you can hear his inner voice! That doesn't matter!" Runo gestured angrily at the chef. "Why the heck isn't he listening to me anymore?!"

"That's an easy one," Erity said. "Sanji-lolly doesn't fight women. It's so against his code of honor he'd rather die than strike a lady. I think the skeleton knows that and wants the princess to escape."

"My hypnosis blocks codes and crap like that!" Runo argued. "He should still attack her!"

Erity shrugged. "There are just some things you can't force men to do, even with hypnosis."

Yari nodded sagely. "Amen to that."

The two woman fist-bumped, which was almost as surprising to Yari's twin as Sanji's inability to kick Vivi in a this-should-never-happen kind of way.

"You got a plan for _this_ contingency, Master Planner?" Vaughan said snarkily.

Runo sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let's forget the princess for now. Sanji has done enough, so Yari, your new favorite dolly is up."

Yari clapped excitedly. This was going to be good.

* * *

><p>"... so thus I knew Sanji-san would never attack Vivi-san," Brook finished explaining.<p>

"WHAT IF THAT HADN'T WORKED?!" Usopp scolded him.

"Then Vivi-san would have died."

"STOP TRYING TO BE THIS ROBIN WOMAN!"

Carue rapidly ran past Brook and Usopp, as well as the steadily approaching future Sanji. Sanji apparently had no interest in fighting ducks either.

"Mr. Brook, Usopp, what's going on?!" Vivi shouted. "Why'd you throw me?!"

"Vivi-san, get out of here and find Luffy-san! We'll hold off the bounty hunters and Sanji-san!" Brook ordered her, taking a battle stance.

"But-"

"You need to get away, Vivi!" Usopp cut in. "Understand? _You_ have to get _away_! You're the only one without a bounty in the future- they have no reason to capture you beyond making you a doll! SO RUN!"

Vivi tried to protest further, but Carue made it to her and threw her onto his back before she could utter a single word. The pair ran off into the tunnel, the darkness swallowing them up as they moved out of sight.

As the two ran off, Runo called out, "Go ahead and run, Princess Weakling! That's all you're good for anyway!"

"Be quiet, you jelly boned freak!" Usopp shouted, remembering what Franky had called him earlier.

"Pirates in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, long-nosed freak!"

Brook sighed with relief, then returned to his defensive position. Sanji was getting closer.

"Focus, Usopp-san," Brook commanded, interrupting Usopp's argument with Runo. "Allow me to deal with Sanji-san. I'll leave the hunters on the walls to you."

Usopp was terrified, but he swallowed and nodded, aiming his slingshot high.

Sanji got closer and closer, when out of nowhere... he stopped.

Brook raised an eyebrow (or he would have if he had eyebrows). Why was Sanji stopping? Had Runo called off the attack and was going to make him go after Vivi?

"U-Uh... B-B-Brook?" Usopp stuttered out, and pointed to the cove ceiling.

Brook looked up. Floating through the air were black bubbles that gave off random charges of electricity. The bubbles popped when they touched the thundercloud overhead that was forming at an alarming rate.

Brook went dry mouthed- if it were even possible for the skeleton to be even more dry mouthed then he already was.

"Usopp-san?"

"Y-Yeah, Brook?"

"Brace yourself."

"W-Why?"

"This is going to hurt."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: The Cove Tunnel<strong>

Vivi figured she was halfway through the tunnel when she heard the screams.

"_ARGHHHHHHHHH!_"

The princess yanked on Carue's reins. "Stop! We have to go back, they need us!

Carue shook his head and kept running. "Quaw quaw, quaw quaw!"

"I said stop! Why do you always do the exact opposite of what I tell you!"

"Quaw quaw!"

"Is that a _tone_ you're using with me?!"

Vivi kept tugging and pull on Carue's reins but the duck wouldn't budge. She was seriously considering just jumping off when Runo's words came back to her.

"_Go ahead and run, Princess Weakling! That's all you're good for anyway!_"

Vivi hands went slack, as did the reins. Runo was right. Running was all she could do. She had held her own as Miss Wednesday, but these people were on a complete other level than the thugs she had to deal with over the last two years. She couldn't help Usopp and Mr. Brook even if she tried.

Taking a deep breath, she snapped Carue's reins. "Forward, Carue! We need to find Luffy!"

Despite the bravery in her words, tears streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls. These would not stop, not even after she finally found Luffy.

For the look on Luffy's face when she tells him of what the sniper and musician told her to do breaks her heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 17- Sunday's Child is Full of Grace, But Wednesday's Child Wants to Kick in Her Face**_

* * *

><p><em>Franky looked extremely uncomfortable, and almost ashamed. "Then again, I guess the circumstances are different than when Luffy told you about replacing Merry in the future."<em>

When Usopp was told of Merry's condition in the future, he had been robbed, beaten, and made to look completely useless. Here, he's just trying to take the future as he learns. Not to mention he doesn't know about Merry's Klaubautermann. Different circumstances, different reactions.

_It was simply a pair of jean shorts, a belt, and a cute yellow t-shirt decorated with orange flower designs._

This was the outfit Nami wore on Sabaody the first time around. Why would she still have it two years later? Despite the incident she wore it in, it was a pretty cute outfit.

**EDIT: **One of my reviewers asked a good question: why did the past crew have to borrow clothes from the Sunny when they could have just gone back to the Merry? Well... in all honesty that did not occur to me. Let's just say for now that Brook was trying to be polite and Usopp, Vivi, and Zoro didn't really care by that point where the clothes came from. They had their own issues and worries to occupy their thoughts, so where they got new clothes didn't really matter to them. Despite inconsistency, that same reviewer said it was a nice touch, so I won't change a thing!

Introduction to Devil Fruits and their Abilities_ (Vivi actually flipped this one open and found that one page in particular, the page on the Clear Clear Fruit, was dog-eared and well-read)..._

This book obviously belongs to Sanji, if you recall his encounter with Absalom during the Thriller Bark Arc.

_This was the same eternal pose Sanji had stolen from the Unluckies. The crew still had it after more than two years?_

This is a headcanon I have. Of course the Straw Hats would hold on to it- they would want to be able to find their way back to their friend.

_"I can only think of one situation where you were in enough pain to build such a high tolerance, and it's something I greatly respect you for."_

Thriller Bark, Kuma, pain bubble. 'Nuff said.

_"You shouldn't dwell too much on the past or future," Brook said, pulling a shirt and sorts out of Usopp's locker. "It will only magnify your fears, worries, and regrets. This in turn can drive you out of your mind, even if the brain your mind was housed in rotted away many years ago. Look to the future for your goals and to the past for inspiration, but do not let these consume your thoughts."_

Brook was on that ship, alone, for fifty years. Something tells me he had a lot of time to think, and his past decisions and future possibilities were some of the stuff he thought of. Could he have saved his crew? Would Laboon recognize him? That kind of thinking over a long period of time would drive anyone batty.

_Usopp now wore a pair of cargo shorts and a green t-shirt with a black skull and crossbones on it. Zoro wore the usual dark pants tucked into his boots and his haramaki, but now also had on a mustard yellow short-sleeved jacket with the zipper left open- clearly showing that he had foregone wearing a shirt underneath._

Usopp's shirt is what he wore in "Brand New World," and Zoro's shirt is what he wore in the Enies Lobby Arc.

_"Any word yet?"_

_"Yes. The lookouts all say they see both of the Straw Hats' ship approaching."_

_"Excellent. Now you can all just sit back and watch the magic happen."_

_"They're not here yet, moron. Your oh-so perfect plan still might not succeed."_

_"Oh ye of so little faith. Come guys, trust me on this! When have I ever let you down?"_

_"There was that time on Xuhl Cay-"_

_"Rhetorical, Vampire Boy."_

_"I'm not a vampire!"_

_"Just keeping sitting there and looking pretty. I don't need you 'accidentally' releasing the captives once we have them in our grasp."_

_"Humph."_

_"Humphs are for camels."_

_"Shut your sister up, Dancing Haze."_

_"_Never call me that._ Now, all of you shut up! They'll be here any minute!"  
><em>

In the order of what's being spoken, the speakers are: Runo, Yari, Runo, Erity, Runo, Vaughan, Runo, Vaughan, Runo, Vaughan, Yari, Erity, and Runo.

_"Because I know for a fact you rigged that coin toss."_

This joke is from the first Review Special and chapter 11. They apparently flipped a coin to decide who would guard Siobhan. In fact, Runo did rig it. He used a double-sided coin.

_"Cook's other eyebrow swirls down? How does that work?"_

I'm sure we were all thinking that when the time skip occurred.

_"No, he heated up his leg with that spinning from before!"_

I know that officially, Sanji doesn't need to spin to ignite his legs anymore. But that just doesn't make sense to me, so I kept the spinning. He still does it in the anime, and this story is largely based off of the anime. Now Sanji just doesn't need to spin as much.


	21. Sunday's Child is Full of Grace

**Special Announcement! With help from my sister, I will be putting together a musical opening for this fanfic! It won't really be animated, but it will have hand-drawn pictures (courtesy of my generous and talented sister) and it's going to be very cool! She will post it on her tumblr page (I'm afraid it would be taken down on YouTube, what with the song I'm planning to use) and when that time comes, I'll be sure to tell you all. I am planning a very similar project for when I reach the end of my story for an ending credits sequence. Either way, it will be epic.**

**Important Note: I may take a break from this story after this chapter. I have a reboot of my One Piece story, _Once Burned_, in the works and I kind of want to work on it. I also have a short One Piece story called _Nothing But the Truth_ up and running, so I may want to finish that. Nothing is definite yet, but keep that in mind if there is a long, long gap between chapters after this one. (Be sure to check out _Nothing But the Truth_! It's good for a laugh!)**

**Hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor! This is my longest chapter to date!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Like, at all. **

* * *

><p><span><strong>SBS 8!<strong>

**Chapter Question: _"What was your initial reaction to Ace's death?"_**

As I mentioned in a previous SBS, I spoiled Ace's death for myself by looking up his character after seeing a very good drawing of him done by Viria. But let me tell you, reading about something and actually seeing it happen are completely different. When I watched Ace's death, I started crying. It was so _unfair_. Ace wanted to live, and he was home free too! He was a better person than most and deserved to live, even if the rest of the world didn't seem to think so. And his final words... dang Oda. Why not just cut out our hearts?

As you can guess, Ace's death is a theme with this fic. I'm telling you now, Past!Luffy isn't going to_ find out_ about Ace's death. I'm already planning to dump enough on the poor guy without throwing_ that_ into the mix. I know what you're thinking; then why did I include that bit at the end of Luffy's first memory dream? You'll just have to wait and see.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 17: Sunday's Child is Full of Grace, but Wednesday's Child Wants to Kick In Her Face<span>**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Time: Day<strong>  
>Location: <strong>**The Lesser Ruins**

She heaved a sigh and snapped her journal shut. Blinking her eyes, she looked around the area she was sitting in. The sky was blue and the sun was almost painfully bright to her tired eyes.

She frowned. When had the sun risen?

_I must have been extremely focused_, she thought. _I didn't even notice the sun coming up_.

With that in mind, she stood up and stretched her stiff back and limbs. She winced; that was what she got for sitting in the exact same position for hours on end, but it was totally worth it. She smiled genuinely at all the papers and notes that littered the ground. Upon her search of the ruins, she had come across several walls engraved with glyphs. She had spent the last few hours deciphering these walls and gained access to a treasure trove of knowledge.

She picked up one of the papers, reading her neat handwriting.

_... We of Saṅkalpa adhere to these truths. To find the strength, the voice, and the surrender of the world, we of Saṅkalpa embrace the will that has been granted to us generously by the heavens. The will of presence, the will of fighting spirit, and the will of intimidation. We strive for complete mastery so that we will rise above the common man..._

She pursed her lips. She wasn't going to say she was an expert in the subject, but the text's referral to three different wills (as it mentioned multiple times) correlated with what she knew about the three types of Haki. And mentions of the Saṅkalpa... had they originated here, on Kāla? The text went on to give details that she thought some of the others would find interesting, but not as interesting as what the _other_ walls said. The information she had gleaned from those would prove beneficial to understanding and overcoming the trials Kāla kept providing.

Speaking of trials, she wondered if her friends had come across any of the bounty hunters. She hoped they had found a way to regroup. It would be easier to tell them everything she knew and learned if she didn't have to keep repeating it over and over.

She sat back down and picked up her pencil. She still had a lot of work to do... the ruins had so much to offer and she had to learn everything she could. Her friends could do without her for a little while longer...

* * *

><p><strong>Location: With the Straw Hats' jungle group<strong>

The group hadn't moved from the spot they'd stopped in for over an hour. It had also been that long since Luffy decided to climb a tree. He still hadn't come down, and personally, no one could blame him.

Vivi's sudden appearance and her being alone- save for Carue, who collapsed from exhaustion not long after bringing Vivi to them- had carried several implications. These implications were confirmed when she tearfully explained everything that had happened to her group. The battle against Yari, Franky's timely arrival, the ambush in the cove (upon mentioning of Runo again, Nami finally remembered where she had heard his name before- Erity had mentioned her future self was captured by him), and Future Sanji's attack. When she had gotten to the part about her own escape, Luffy walked past where she sat, hugging her knees, and started to climb the nearest tree.

Under normal circumstances, Luffy would have demanded to know the hunters' location so he could beat the crap out of them and take back his comrades. This, however, was not 'normal circumstances.' For starters, he hadn't even known Future Sanji and Tony had been captured until now- he supposed that was the same for Future Nami, but he already knew something had happened to her from the whole triple pose thing. No, his crew had conveniently left that tidbit of information out when they explained who Tony and Lysopp were. They of course had to explain to Vivi their own situation, where Luffy learned Tony had attacked them in a hypnotized state. Tony was free now, but that would have been nice to know sooner.

Second, the crew members that had been ambushed in the cove had been defeated, badly. While Future Sanji's fire attack sounded really cool, judging by Vivi's description Zoro had been horribly injured by it. It had been completely one-sided, just like Sanji's brief fight with Roronoa. Unlike Sanji's fight with Roronoa, the latter hadn't even been trying. Future Sanji, while hypnotized, _had_ been trying. Luffy didn't even want to think about what he could have done to Brook and Usopp. Even before then, his own crew members had practically been tortured by this Yari girl before Franky showed up. Of course, Nami had to mention her own one-sided fight with Erity, and then there was his duel against Vaughan.

Luffy had lost, just as miserably as everyone else. He hadn't mentioned this to his comrades, but he could still clearly remember the last thing the pseudo-vampire had said to him before he got knocked out.

_Luffy stood up. He couldn't remember how many times he fell, or how many times he got back up, but this time hurt like the devil. He was light-headed and every part of his body ached._

_"Geez, you don't know when to quit, huh?" Vampire Guy said, breathing heavily. "If it's any consolation, I was really trying not to hurt you this much."_

_Vampire Guy was mostly unharmed, save for a couple bruises and a bleeding lip. He would have had more injuries if it weren't for a technique he kept using to avoid attacks, and another one that made punching him like punching a steel wall. And his punches affected Luffy more than they should- just like Garp's. At least the bounty hunter didn't try shooting him again, instead just using the rifle on his back as a club and creating weapons out of spilled blood. _

_He now had a big sword made of solidified blood, which really wasn't good for Luffy. It was made mostly out of his _own_ blood._

_"I don't think you can take another hit from my Sanguine Sabre," the hunter went on, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I don't want to kill you, but you're not going to stop fighting, are you?"_

_Luffy was currently attempting to breathe without coughing up blood, so he had no reply for the red-eyed man._

_Vampire Guy sighed and gave Luffy a sympathetic look (at least it looked sympathetic in Luffy's blurring vision). "Normally that would be a admirable trait, but in this case it's reckless. There are times where you need to cut and run. You know that, right?"_

_Luffy had no answer. He instead gave the older man a dirty look._

_"Don't look at me like that. It's your own fault for trying to take on an enemy you weren't ready to fight. I don't know what kind of enemies you've been fighting up until now, but the New World, and heck, the last half of Paradise are whole other stages. You're strong but not strong enough to take us on." He shrugged. "I suppose it's this kind of mindset that led to events such as Sabaody. Figures as much. Keep this up and you'll only lose your crew."_

_Those words echoed in Luffy's head. Sabaody? What was Sabaody? And what did he mean he'd lose his crew?_

_"Hopefully your future self will be a little more wise. With experience comes wisdom and all that jazz." Vampire Guy stuck out his hand. "Sorry about this. I actually don't like controlling blood while it's still in the body, but I don't have any tranqs." _

_Luffy finally tried to speak. "You-"_

_"_Head Rush!_"_

_Luffy's head felt hot and heavy, then everything went black._

After that he'd had that horrible nightmare, and then he awoke to find himself with his crew. And speaking of his crew... Luffy looked down from where he sat in the tree. Roronoa was sitting against the roots of the very same tree his young captain was sitting in, while Nami was simply sitting on the ground near Vivi, stroking the still-exhausted Carue's head. It appeared Vivi had just finished being treated for her injuries by the two reindeers, and was now being hugged by both Tony and Lysopp.

"VIVI!" Tony and Lysopp were shouting, rivers of tears streaming down their faces. "WE MISSED YOU SOOOOO MUCH!"

Vivi appeared to not know how she was supposed to react, so she just smiled sadly and patted their backs. "Aw, thanks you guys. I guess it's been awhile since you've seen me."

Lysopp got off her and wiped his eyes. "I'll say! It's been over two years!"

Vivi nodded. "Yeah, and you've changed a lot, Uso- Lysopp. When did you become so-"

Lysopp's face went deadpan. "The next word you're going to say better not be "manly.'"

"... Okay, how about 'grown up' then?"

"... I guess that's better. And thanks for not saying it like you're completely surprised."

"What about me, Vivi? I've changed too, right? Right?" Tony said excitedly.

Vivi looked at Tony, then at Chopper. She kept looking between the two for a solid minute, and then the two reindeer realized what she was doing.

"YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE?!" the two doctors hollered.

"I'm sorry!" Vivi apologized. She turned to Chopper. "I'm sure you've changed a lot, Mr. Tony!"

"I'm your time's Chopper! He's 'Mr. Tony'!" Chopper yelled, pointing at Tony.

'Mr. Tony" was currently sitting an emo corner next to Roronoa. Not that past Straw Hats knew it, but that last time he'd looked this dejected was when he saw his first bounty.

"Have I really changed that little...?" Tony asked himself, obviously depressed. "I thought I'd become a man..."

Roronoa scoffed and placed a hand on top of Tony's hat. "You have become a man. Just not in appearance."

That did little to ease Tony's new existential crisis. Vivi now looked really guilty about hurting the reindeer's feelings. Before she could do anything about it, Lysopp got in her face with a very stern expression.

"Since you're here and from the past, I see it fit to ask something of you in the coming future," Lysopp said, all business.

"Luffy doesn't want us to know too much about the future," Nami reminded him. "Whatever it is, I doubt it's important enough break his order."

"It is _extremely_ important!" Lysopp argued before turning back to the princess. "Vivi, whatever you do... please remember to tell us stuff when we get to Alabasta!"

Vivi blinked. "Tell you stuff?"

"Yes, like about the wild sand storms, the Sandora dragons, the thieving birds, the deadly plants... that stuff!" Lysopp seemed to remembering something awful. "All the cruel dangers of the desert and you kept forgetting to tell us about them! It was ridiculous!"

"I'm... sorry?" Vivi apologized.

"Is Alabasta really that dangerous?" Chopper asked curiously.

"It can be. The desert is a harsh environment and is filled with many dangers." Vivi frowned and turned back to the sniper. "Sorry about all that, Lysopp. I guess I'll try to remember to tell you this time around?"

Lysopp nodded. "That's all I ask."

"With the way you tend to blurt stuff out and worry, I'm surprised this is going to be a problem," Nami commented.

Vivi blushed and looked away. She didn't need to be reminded of her quirks.

"I remember our trip through Alabasta well," Lysopp stated dramatically. "It was as harsh a journey as the desert itself."

"Stop whining, it wasn't that bad," Roronoa told him.

The sniper glared at him. "Not that bad?! It was way too hot, there was never enough water, the camel would only let the girls ride him, and Luffy kept eating hallucinatory cacti!"

"Okay, I will admit the heat and the cactus things got annoying, but in comparison to everything we've been through since then, can you really say it was that bad?"

Lysopp stopped and considered all that, then frowned in deadpan again. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Vivi, having grown up in the desert, had to wonder what her friends had gone through that made the desert look feeble in comparison.

"... Luffy ate hallucinatory cacti?" Nami spoke up.

Chopper held up a hoof. "I have read that certain species of cacti secrete special chemicals that cause hallucinations. They're even used in making hallucinogenics."

"That sounds like quite a story," Vivi added.

"It is," Lysopp confirmed. He looked up. "Hey, Luffy!"

Luffy was startled, but called back down. "Yeah, Usopp-ossan?!"

"I know you don't want us revealing too much about the future, but do you mind if I tell them about this time you ate cactus that made you act weird? It doesn't give too much away!"

Luffy could sense the present morale in the group; it was pretty low. Maybe a funny story was what they needed at the moment. "Sure, that's fine."

"Great, thanks!" Lysopp turned back to the group on the ground. "So we were travelling through the desert, our throats parched and dry..."

Luffy stopped listening- he just wasn't in the mood for a story right now. He kept looking down at the group long enough to notice Roronoa staring at him, but he soon looked away. Looking at Roronoa reminded the rubberman of he said when they argued about who would take down Vaughan.

"_You just can't afford to rush into things without thinking, at least not while we're on this island._"

Now, after hearing everything and having time to ponder it, Luffy realized both Roronoa and Vaughan had been right. They weren't ready and now he'd lost several of his crew mates, past and future, to the bounty hunters. He had rushed into it and paid the consequences. So much for Operation Save the Future.

Luffy rubbed his head, which was starting to ache. He wasn't used to doing this much thinking.

"Hey."

Luffy looked up and was surprised to see he wasn't the only one sitting on the big tree branch anymore. Sanji was sitting there with him. (Luffy _thought_ someone was missing from the group below.)

"Roronoa wanted to come up here and talk to you, but I told him I'd do it. He shouldn't be climbing trees with that shoulder anyway," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. He took a deep drag before continuing. "So, going by the fevered look on your face, you've been doing some thinking. Am I right?"

Luffy kept his expression purposely blank. "Vampire Guy's crew captured our friends."

"Yeah, and they're using some of our future selves as 'toys'," Sanji sighed. He smiled bitterly. "Have to admit, I've always wanted to kick the Mosshead's ass..."

_But not like this_. The unspoken words rang clearly in the chef's voice, and Luffy noticed them the moment Sanji had started talking.

"If we go up against this Runo guy, we need to keep him away from you," the blond man went on. "You didn't do well against that Miss Goldenweek, and Nami told me about the weirdo from Usopp's village. You and hypnotists don't mix."

"... Sanji, how come you guys didn't tell me your future self, Future Nami, and Chopper-ossan had been captured and hypnotized? And that Chopper-ossan was hypnotized into attacking you?" Luffy asked, getting right to the point.

Sanji rubbed his neck. "We had only just learned the former from Lysopp last night. It wasn't that we were trying to keep both from you, though; we figured we'd just wait until we caught up with Vivi's group to go into better detail so we wouldn't have to keep telling it over and over." The chef glanced down at Vivi, who was laughing at something Lysopp just said. She looked like she was doing better from earlier. "I guess that doesn't matter so much now."

"You should have told me."

"What would you have done if we had? Go running off into the jungle again without thinking?"

Luffy, for once, honestly had no idea if that _was_ what he would've done. Before he had been raring to challenge Vaughan again, but now he wasn't so sure. Running off would have meant the group would be split up again-

_You will never see them again_.

"Luffy? Luffy!"

Luffy shook his head as Sanji shook his shoulder. He must have blanked out. He turned to look at the older man.

"Luffy, you just got really pale," Sanji said with concern (not that he'd ever admit to showing concern for a non-female crewmate). "Are you feeling all right, or do you want me to get Chopper?"

"Sorry, Sanji," Luffy apologized. "I'm fine, I promise. What were you saying?"

Sanji didn't look convinced, but he chose to take his captain's word for it. "I was just saying that for once, future Mosshead is right; we can't going rushing into this like we usually do. We don't want anyone else to get captured or hypnotized. Roronoa also told me to tell you that from this point on, we have to assume that anyone else we come across might be hypnotized too. That way there won't be a repeat with what happened with the shipwright."

Luffy crossed his arms. "What do you care about what Zoro-ossan says anyway? Nami told me you and Zoro don't trust him."

"Nami is as observant as ever," Sanji said without his usual lovey spiel. "I don't explicitly _distrust_ him, but I won't lie; I think there's something off about Roronoa. Zoro and I both think he's hiding something, and don't tell me you haven't noticed all the guilty looks he kept shooting at you in the beginning. He gave you one earlier when you woke up from your bad dream. Brook, Lysopp, and Tony have been doing it too."

Sanji remembered when the elder swordsman had called their crew "overconfident rookies." Now that he thought about it, Roronoa sounded like he knew what he was talking about. In the future, did the crew become overconfident and pay the price for it? It would explain all the guilty looks Roronoa, Lysopp, Tony, and Brook kept giving Luffy, but the chef had a feeling there was more to it than that. He would have asked Roronoa outright if it were not for Luffy's "no asking about the future" rule.

A rule Luffy looked almost ready to break. Almost.

"That doesn't matter," Luffy said a little forcefully. "The crew is all together in the future. Whatever they feel guilty about, we get through it."

The real question was whether he was convincing Sanji of that... or himself. Luffy didn't know anymore, and that scared him. It took a lot to scare him.

"I guess you have a point there. For now, we should be worried about the situation at hand." Sanji stubbed out his cigarette on his heel. "What's our next move going to be? Are we going to try and get our crewmates back, or do something else? Just know that if try the first choice, we'll probably have to rely on Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony to fight." He shuddered. "Now that's a thought that fills me with trepidation."

Luffy grinned, his first since Vivi's return. "Nah, they're all strong. I bet they could take on those stupid hunters, easy!"

Sanji snorted. "Yeah, sure. All Tony has to do is take that monster form again and squish them."

"Chopper really has an eighth monster transformation? I can't believe I missed that!"

"Be glad you did. That thing was freaky."

Luffy chuckled. He had by no means forgotten his concerns or his worries, but he no longer felt overly depressed about it. Laughing had helped, and he had a feeling that was what Sanji was aiming for.

"There you go," Sanji said proudly. "Look, I'm sorry we kept that information from you. But you need to stop sitting up here angsting over everything; it's completely out of character for you. We'll figure this out like we always do. And if you need to talk to us, do that. That's what we're here for."

Luffy thought about that. Should he tell Sanji and the others about his dreams, and what Vaughan had told him at the end of their duel?

The rubber boy frowned, then looked Sanji directly in the eye. "Sanji, I-"

"OI, GUYS!" Nami's voice screeched from down below.

The chef and captain looked down. Everyone was on their feet- even Carue- and watching a large, full-grown buck (assumably Tony) sniff the ground.

"GET DOWN HERE!" the navigator continued to shout. "TONY THINKS HE'S GOT SOMETHING!"

"BE RIGHT DOWN, NAMI-SWAN!~" Sanji yelled back. He looked at Luffy. "Duty calls. What were you going to say just now?"

Luffy adjusted his hat before answering, covering his eyes. "It can wait."

"Alright. Feel up to getting us down from here?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Luffy ended up wrapping one arm around Sanji's waist and the other around their tree branch. Then, slowly so he wouldn't aggravate his wounds too much, lowered himself and Sanji to the ground. He flinched when his arm snapped back into place, but it wasn't too bad.<p>

"So what does Tony think he's got?" Sanji asked as he and Luffy approached the group.

Tony looked up. "Okay, so I was laying face-down on the grass after Vivi hurt my feelings-"

"I said I was sorry, Mr. Tony!" Vivi interrupted.

"- and I ended up sniffing the ground. While I was doing that, I picked up a scent!"

"What kind of scent?" Luffy asked.

Tony sniffed the ground some more. "It smells like flowers..."

Nami frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "There are lots of flowers around here, Tony."

"... Old books..." Tony continued.

"There's a definite lack of those around here," Roronoa said, a grin slowing forming on his face. He knew where Tony was going with this.

"... And coffee!" Tony looked up again, smiling widely. "There's no doubt about it! Robin was here, and judging by how strong the scent is, it was pretty recently!"

This brought forth a myriad of reactions from the group. Lysopp and Roronoa were both grinning excitedly now, for this was the best news they'd heard all day. Sanji was already in mellorine-mode at the prospect of meeting the elusive "beautiful archaeologist." Vivi, Nami, and Chopper, who had only heard of Robin through comments of her morbidity, were less excited. Luffy remained completely blank-faced.

"... Well, before Vivi showed up we were planning to go after Robin once we met up with the Sunny-Retrieval group," Roronoa remembered.

"This is perfect!" Lysopp declared. "Tony, do you think you can track her with her scent?"

"I can!" Tony assured them. "If this is what Luffy wants us to do, then I can definitely lead you to Robin!"

Everyone turned to look at the rubberman in question, awaiting his answer.

"Well, Luffy? What are we going to do?" Chopper asked.

"Do you want to follow this scent to Ms. Robin, or do you want to start thinking up a rescue plan for Mr. Bushido and everyone else?" Vivi asked with a somewhat melancholy tone.

Luffy didn't reply for a few moments, his hat shadowing his eyes. He was going over the options in his head, and it wasn't long before he made his decision.

"If we're going to take our friends back, we're going to need as many people from the future to fight for us as possible," Luffy said in a low voice. He looked up, determination in his gaze. "Since we have an idea of where she is, we're going after Robin! But like Zoro-ossan said, there's a chance she might be hypnotized too, so we need to be careful!" He clenched his fists. "And most importantly..."

_You will never see them again._

That man-bear could shove it. Luffy would see them again. He was going to make sure of it.

"... from here on out, we stick together! No more splitting up! Got it?!"

"_RIGHT!_" everyone shouted in response.

Luffy pointed at Tony. "Chopper-ossan, lead the way!"

"You got it, Captain!" Tony said. "Everybody, follow me! Chopper, try picking up the scent too, so you can help!"

Chopper entered Walk Point, and soon enough, he had the scent as well. Vivi led Carue over to Luffy and told the captain he shouldn't be walking too much with his injuries before joining the others in following the reindeer. Roronoa hung back with Luffy, helping his captain mount the large bird.

Roronoa gave Luffy a side glance. "You and the cook were talking for awhile. You doing better?"

Luffy nodded. "I'm fine now. I'll be even better when we get our friends back."

Roronoa gave a half-smile and looked away. "Good to hear. Come on, let's catch up."

Carue let out an enthusiastic squawk, and the three ran to join the others... and almost immediately had to go back for Roronoa, who went the wrong way.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: About 20 minutes later<br>**

The path the two Choppers took the crew along went north, and as they went further, the terrain changed. There were fewer trees and occasionally they had to climb over walls of rock. The farther north they went, the more elevated the landscape became.

"Are you _sure_ Robin took this route?" Lysopp asked, pulling himself up yet another short cliff. "Because I really don't think she would have taken the most difficult path imaginable!"

"This is where her scent leads," Chopper replied simply.

"And Robin's really clever," Tony added. "If she knew there were enemies on the island, she would have taken a difficult path just so she wouldn't be easily followed."

"That sounds like something Robin would do," Roronoa commented, helping Luffy and Carue up onto the ledge.

Sanji happily helped Nami and Vivi up the ledge and the group continued walking. As they went, the ground began to flatten out, much to the crew's relief since it meant they wouldn't do much more climbing. But this meant the foliage grew thick again, making sniffing out Robin a harder task. At any rate, another few minutes passed before anyone tried to make conversation again.

"Speaking of difficult paths," Nami spoke up. "Vivi, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it, Nami?" Vivi asked.

Nami held up a piece of paper, which she had been using to mark their path. "When you showed up, we were all completely lost. How did you manage to find us?"

Vivi opened her mouth to give an answer, then just as quickly shut it. She began to look very puzzled.

"Vivi-chan?" Sanji said with concern.

"I... I'm not sure," Vivi admitted. "I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going."

Luffy patted Carue's head. "What about you, duck? Do you know how Vivi found us?"

Carue looked a little confused himself, but nodded. "Quaw quaw quaw, quaw quaw quaw."

"'While I was running with Vivi I found this weird clearing amongst the trees, like a path. I figured it wouldn't hurt to take it, so I did,' he says," Chopper translated, moving to walk alongside Luffy and Carue. Tony seemed to be doing fine on his own.

"I didn't see any path in the direction you guys came from," Lysopp pointed out.

"Quaw quaw quaw, quaw_ quaw_!" Carue said in a little panicky tone. "Quaw quaw quaw!"

"'That's because as I moved along the path, trees behind me _moved_!'" Chopper translated again. "'They covered up the path I took!'"

"_Seriously_?!" Vivi gasped.

Nami had broken into a sweat, but she looked thoughtful, "You know... I think something similar to that happened to me..."

Vivi turned to gape at her. "It_ did_?!"

"Earlier, when I got separated from the boys, the way I came was suddenly covered in trees and vines. Not long after that I met Erity and Lysopp."

"And after that, when we were trying to get back to the beach, you said it was like the trees were purposely keeping us from going the right way," Roronoa pointed out. "And then Vivi found us."

"Guys... you're making it sound like the island is alive and leading us around..." Lysopp said fearfully. "I thought we all agreed that the island wasn't alive and leading us around..."

"But it's helping us find our friends!" Luffy said cheerfully. "That's awfully nice of it to do!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Nami barked. "I refuse to believe the island is alive! It makes no sense!"

"I hate to disagree with you, Nami, but we _are_ in the Grand Line... this place doesn't make sense as a rule," Sanji admitted reluctantly. He gave her a thumbs up. "But I still support you 100%!"

Nami flopped over dejectedly. She was surrounded by morons.

"Uh.. Mr. Roronoa?" Vivi spoke up. "Would you be able to tell if the island was alive?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me?"

"Back when we were being attacked by Yari, Mr. Brook said you had an ability called Kenbunshoku Haki that let you sense things'... 'inner voices?'"

"Yeah, didn't Lysopp mention those twins having something called Haki?" Sanji remembered. "What is Haki?"

"It's kind of an enforcement of will," Roronoa replied. "Specifically, Kenbunshoku Haki allows the user to hear one's inner voice, helping them find another's location or predicting their attacks..."

Sanji kicked forward, and for the umpteenth time, Roronoa caught the chef's foot. The swordsman smirked. "... Like that."

"So _that's_ how you keep avoiding my attacks!" Sanji yelled in frustration. "I knew it wasn't a fluke!"

Luffy nodded sagely. "So it's a mystery ability!"

Roronoa snorted. "It might as well be."

"That's so _cool_!" Chopper awed. "So you can read minds?!"

"It's not that specific, Chopper." Roronoa pushed Sanji's foot away, and Nami caught the chef before he could fall over. Ignoring Sanji's loud declarations of love to the navigator, Roronoa went on explaining. "I know I make it look easy, but in reality my Kenbunshoku Haki isn't as good as other members of the crew. But to answer Vivi's question, if the island was alive, I would be able to tell."

"_Is_ it alive?" Luffy asked curiously.

Roronoa frowned. His silence did nothing to reassure the more cowardly members of the crew.

"... I don't know," Roronoa admitted.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON"T KNOW?!" Nami, Chopper, Lysopp, Sanji, and Vivi all demanded to know.

"Exactly that. I_ have_ been getting the vague impression we're being watched... not to mention ever since I got here I've noticed my 'hearing' has been muted. It's like there's a bigger 'voice' muffling all of the other 'voices', but I can't make it out. It's like a buzzing background noise." Seeing their creeped out expressions, he continued, "That doesn't necessarily mean it _is_ alive. For all we know, there just might be a ridiculously powerful Haki user on this island somewhere."

"Y-You mean like E-Eneru?" Lysopp said shakily. He groaned. "'Cuz I really don't need to relive that experience."

"Eneru's Haki was strong, but he had the Rumble Rumble Fruit to back it up," Roronoa said. "I don't think we have to worry about that."

The two future pirates soon realized that they were being stared at by all of the past crewmates.

"Future thing," Lysopp said, waving his hand. "Pay us no mind."

"My point is that there's no way of knowing," Roronoa finished. "That's the best answer I can give."

"Oi, Island!" Luffy shouted suddenly, throwing his arms up in the air. "If you're actually alive, mind giving us a shortcut to Robin?! This trip is taking too long!"

Everyone either groaned or gave Luffy a baleful look. This was no time for messing around.

"What did Roronoa _just_ say?!" Nami yelled at the rubberman.

"What? He said he didn't know if it was alive or not," Luffy reasoned. "There's no harm in just asking, is there?"

"I guess not," Sanji admitted. "But it looks kind of stupid asking an island for a favooOOOOOAHHH!"

Sanji was cut off as the group found themselves falling over the side of a large cliff. It came into their path so suddenly that no one had a chance to prevent the chain reaction of tripping over the side that ensued.

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Lysopp shrieked. "TONY, WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN US?!

"I COULDN'T!" Tony squealed. "THE CLIFF JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!"

"THANKS A LOT, LUFFY!" Nami howled, bonking Luffy on the head.

"WHAT? IT'S A SHORTCUT!" Luffy argued.

"NOT IF WE END UP STAINS ON THE GROUND!" Vivi shouted.

"QUAAAW!" Carue agreed.

"I'LL BREAK YOUR FALL, LADIES!" Sanji offered lovingly.

"HANG ON, I GOT THIS!" Luffy insisted. "GUM GUM-"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Chopper ordered. "YOU'LL STRAIN YOUR INJURIES!"

Luffy crossed his arms and pouted, a remarkable feat given he was free-falling.

"USOPP! CHOPPER!" Roronoa shouted, temporarily forgetting to use their new names. "DO SOMETHING!"

"RIGHT!" Lysopp and Tony responded.

Lysopp quickly pulled on his goggles, pulled a Pop Green from his bag, and drew back the strap of his Kuro Kabuto. "GREEN STAR: TRAMPOLIA!"

The seed hit the ground and immediately grew into a big bubble-like plant.

"GUARD POINT!" Tony called out.

Having seen Chopper take this form before, the group was only mildly shocked to see Tony burst into a ball of fluff. What did most of the shocking was just how big that ball of fluff was- it was enormous! Still, the two future pirates' actions did what they were supposed to. The group either landed on the Trampolia or Tony's Guard Point, softly breaking their fall.

_Wow,_ Chopper thought as he bounced on the Trampolia._ I really _don't_ need Rumble Balls in the future..._

Once everyone was done bouncing and safely on the ground, Tony went back to Brain Point and the pirates regrouped.

"Okay," Nami said breathlessly, dusting off her clothes. "All in favor of that thing with the cliff being a coincidence and not in _any way_ a sign that the island is alive and listening, say 'aye.'"

"_Aye_," the crew, save the captain, said in deadpan unison.

Luffy, deciding to not go along with his crew's thoughts, waved his arms towards the top of the cliff. "Thanks for the shortcut, Island! We owe you one!"

"WE OWE THE ISLAND NOTHING!" Nami and Sanji screeched, punching Luffy's head. "WE ALMOST DIED!"

Roronoa stretched his arms and turned to Tony. "How about it, Tony? Was it a shortcut?"

Tony transformed into Walk Point and began to sniff the ground. He only did this for a moment, then lifted his head. "Robin's scent is much stronger now! She's close! Everyone, follow me!"

Tony went dashing back into the forest, and the rest of the group did not hesitate in following.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp, Jungle's Northern Sector<strong>

_She was running- running as fast as she could, through the jungle and up to the high cliff above Kronos Cove. She had to make it, she had to tell them! They couldn't leave yet!_

_She made it to the cliff and skidded to a stop before she pitched over the edge. The ship was still in sight; it hadn't made it past the Fog yet! Taking a deep breath, she screamed as loudly as her small lungs could take._

_"STOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!"_

_In the distance, she could see a figure standing near the ship's stern turn to look back at her._

_"COME BACK!" she shrieked. "COME BACK, I CHANGED MY MIND!"_

_The figure did not call back._

_"I WANT TO KEEP MY PROMISE BUT..." She bit her lip, tears beginning to run down her face. "PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE BY MYSELF! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!"_

_The figure facing her turned away, most likely so he wouldn't have to see a sobbing girl anymore. Once he had done that, the ship vanished._

_She fell to her knees. Of course they didn't come back- they warned her that if she agreed to this, they would never see each other again. And who knew how long it would take for Saatatya to fulfill his vow? She had been so naive. She had been so caught up in the prospect of leaving home and having an adventure that she didn't think much about how all this would feel._

_She fell forward, her hands pressed to the ground. She was crying. She was crying her little eyes out, but what would you expect? She was only a child and no matter how mature she was for her age, this was a sad day._

_She was all alone._

Siobhan snapped awake. People used to tell her when she woke up, she_ really_ woke up. She sprawled out her body and ended up banging her arms, legs, and head against the cage. The banging of her head caused her to bite her own tongue, and she immediately tasted blood.

She pulled herself together and sat up, spitting out the blood in her mouth. She stuck out her tongue. "Owww... wah do ah ohays do tat?"

"That must have been quite a dream if it warranted that kind of reaction, Siobhan."

Siobhan sucked back in her tongue and threw a glare to the side. Instead of some random flunky sitting in the "guard chair", it was Carrion himself. He was whittling away at a block of wood, only pausing to eat a banana from a pile sitting on a tray on the tent's desk.

She_ really_ didn't want him there, but maybe starting some witty banter with him would get her mind off her dream. She always dreamed of that day when she started thinking of Life Before, much to her eternal annoyance. That wasn't one of her best moments and she despised being reminded of it. She had been thinking of Life Before a lot ever since the Straw Hats and bounty hunters showed up. She hated it and it needed to stop! It would only prove to be a distraction later on.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Siobhan asked sardonically. "Don't tell me you've been watching me sleep. As if you weren't creepy enough."

"I noticed my men kept sleeping on the job, so I decided I would take a turn," Carrion replied casually. He started to peel another banana. "They all keep underestimating you, and we can't have that."

The twelve-year-old scoffed. "Weren't you the one who said you could handle a little girl earlier?"

"If the need arises, I could deal with you. That doesn't mean I don't acknowledge that you're stronger than you look."

"What gives you that idea?"

"You have a very commandeering presence, and you're quite sure of yourself for someone who is a prisoner," he answered. "Also, after our little chat, I did some thinking. I remembered Erity mentioned that when she and Vaughan were chasing you, she fell unconscious at some point. She believed you were responsible, despite you being nowhere near her. In addition, Vaughan dropped that little clue about you having too much will for devil fruit powers to affect you."

Siobhan scowled.

Carrion chuckled. "I used to be in the Navy, brat. I know strong-willed types when I see them, but I didn't really look at you until recently. Now, I don't want to think you're capable of such things at such a young age, but I have to be careful. Besides your obvious use to us in locating the Star of Kāla, that's the reason you're still in that cage and not tied up or anything. Simply tying you up in ropes or even chains is too easy to escape from."

Siobhan was actually a pretty good escape artist when it came to ropes and chains, but she wasn't about to let the Boss know that. She decided to change the subject.

"Navy this, Navy that," Siobhan griped. "What is this Navy thing you are so obsessed with? Some of my past visitors mentioned it, but they never went into detail."

Carrion gave her an intrigued look. "You mean you don't know? You must have been on this island for a long time then."

"It hasn't been that long. I've only been living here for a little more than three years."

"Time outside of the island's borders passes differently, but you already knew that."

"Yes, I did already know that. Care to say other things I already know, like how eating that many bananas is just going to make you mosquito bait?"

If Carrion had a response to that, he didn't get a chance to say it. A woman with long, wavy golden yellow hair entered the tent. She wore a pin-stripe suit, square glasses, and carried a clipboard. Siobhan had seen her a few times around the camp- she was Carrion's personal assistant or something.

"Boss Carrion, I have some reports for you," she said in the most boring voice Siobhan had ever heard. Just hearing it made her want to sleep.

"Very good, Saffron," Carrion said. "Read them to me."

"We just received a call on the Den Den Mushi from Mr. Runo. He says he, the rest of the lieutenants, and half of Theta Unit are almost back at camp. He also said they're bringing 'presents,'" Saffron began to read from the clipboard.

"Blast that man. Can't he ever speak straight?" Carrion grumbled. He sighed and waved it off. "What else is there?"

"The other half of Theta Unit has finished salvaging supplies and survivors from the Silverback, and are returning to camp."

By this point, Siobhan was almost nodding off. Saffron's voice was _so_ monotonous. She quickly slapped herself awake, because she actually wanted to hear what was going on.

"Good, good," Carrion said. He bit into a fresh banana. "Anything else?"

Saffron nodded stiffly. "Yes. We've lost all contact with Alpha Unit."

Carrion spit out his banana. "WHAT?! What do you mean we've lost contact with Alpha Unit?!"

"Exactly as it sounds, Boss. We received one call from them, and we quickly lost the signal." She flipped through a few pages on her clipboard. "The call dictated, and I quote, 'We are in need of assistance. We are being attacked by- ack, gack, bleh.' End quote."

The fact Saffron delivered distressing news in her bland voice had Siobhan rolling around on the floor of her cage, peals of laughter escaping her mouth. Carrion, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as amused.

"How... is this... _possible_?" Carrion ground out. "Alpha Unit is made up of our best men, second only to the four lieutenants and myself. What could have made them ask for assistance?"

"Perhaps some of the local wildlife?" Saffron suggested. "There is approximately a 47% chance they are the cause. After all, we know next to nothing about this island and what lives on it."

Carrion turned to glare at Siobhan, who had finally stopped laughing and was wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"What are you looking at me for?" she asked, smirking smugly. "I don't know anything; I've been in this cage this entire time. You say you want help in finding the treasure, but how can I do that if you won't let me out?"

"I have my reasons," Carrion growled. He walked up to the cage and reached through bars, grabbing Siobhan by her shirt and lifting her up. "Stop being so tight-lipped for once and tell me; is Saffron correct about some form of wildlife attacking my men?"

Siobhan rolled her eyes. "Pfft, of course not. Tell me; aside from the occasional Lake King, haven't you noticed the startling absence of fauna on this island?"

Carrion blinked. Now that she mentioned it, he _had_ noticed. Men he'd sent to hunt for food only came back with wild plants and fruit. No animals.

"The animals are all hiding," Siobhan explained. "They know just as much as I do something big is going to happen, and they don't want to get caught in the crossfire. If I had to bet, I'd say it was one of the pirates running around the island. Aside from Feral Freak's toys, you have a number of them unaccounted for."

"There is a 88% chance she is correct," Saffron added unhelpfully.

"Oh wait!" Siobhan gasped falsely. "Wasn't it part of your grand scheme to catch the Straw Hat guy? How's that going for you?"

Carrion snarled animalistically.

"What's the matter," Siobhan taunted. "Upset that things aren't going according to plan,_ Boss_?"

Siobhan started laughing again, but this time Carrion was having none of it. He reared back his free arm and punched her across the face through the spaces between bars. It was powerful enough that blood went flying out of her mouth and nose, smearing the red liquid with the blue face paint she wore. A bruise was already blossoming around her eye.

"_Never_ laugh at me, you little wench," Carrion said in a dangerously soft voice. He lifted her up so they were nose to nose between the bars. "I have half a mind to kill you right now, but I still have need of you. Just remember I hold all the cards, and I will gladly do away with you when I unleash-"

Carrion was cut off by Siobhan suddenly biting him on the nose.

A minute passed, then another. Siobhan was still biting and showing no signs of letting go.

"You're kidding, right?" Carrion asked in slightly nasal deadpan. "I'm a former Marine Rear Admiral. I've been through a lot pain in my life. It will take a lot more than a bite on the nose to make me cry out."

Siobhan responded to that by biting harder. Carrion didn't even last a second.

"ARGHHHHHSAFFRONMAKEHERLETGOTHISHURTS!" Carrion wailed in agony.

Saffron sighed boringly. "You contradicted yourself again, Boss. Anywho, I sincerely doubt she will listen to me. Who made her let go the previous five times she bit you?"

"VAUGHAN!"

"In that case, you will just have to wait until he returns. There is a 62% chance he will be arriving with the other lieutenants soon."

With that, Saffron turned on her heel and left the large tent. Carrion glared at the girl biting his face with a hatred that burned intensely. Siobhan matched the glare on an equal level.

_This wouldn't have happened if you didn't get so close, jerkass,_ Siobhan told him with her eyes.

_I can't wait to kill you, wench_, Carrion told her with his eyes.

If Siobhan hadn't been biting the ex-Marine, she would have scoffed. Just as she had thought, all that talk of 'relieving' her of her guardianship duties and letting her leave was total BS. Not that she ever believed it- though a little harder to detect than most people's, Carrion's inner voice gave away a majority of his true feelings. The only thing that remained an enigma was why he still wanted Siobhan around if she wasn't going to aid him in finding the treasure.

At least Blood Eyes would be back soon. He was a much better conversationalist and distraction. Kind of like Captain-sama, but not as funny. Blood Eyes was more witty and she liked that, even if it got annoying. It was like talking with Saatatya again... crap, she thought of Saatatya! She needed that to stop or she'd have those stupid dreams again! Siobhan quickly banished the thoughts and went back to focusing on pissing off Carrion.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: The Lesser Ruins<strong>

While the rest of the crew was slack-jawed, Roronoa took one look at the sight before them and rolled his eye.

"Figures Robin would be here," he muttered.

After following Tony back into the jungle, they hadn't walked very long before the grass turned into grayed cobblestones. Of all the things they were expecting to find on Kāla, Roronoa and his crew included, they certainly weren't expecting to find_ this_.

Splayed out before them were structures of crumbling white stone, held up by smooth pillars carved with strange symbols and hieroglyphics. Most the buildings were kind of small, except for an occasional one that stood higher than the rest. Every building was so artfully done that you could tell a lot of work had gone into the place. Standing off in the distance of the area was a large statue of a robed woman. Area-wise, the ruins only covered about the same amount of land as your average-sized village, but the fact this place was here at all was stupefying.

Silently, the crew entered the ruins, with Tony leading in the front with his nose.

"I don't believe it," Vivi whispered, resting a hand on Carue's saddle. "So people really do live here?"

"More like they _did_ live here," Sanji said, knocking a loose fist against a wall. Bits of stone fell from it. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here in a long time."

"So I guess we won't find any open restaurants here, huh?" Luffy said with disappointment.

"You always think about food," Nami said grumpily.

"But this is weird," Chopper commented. "If no one lives here, shouldn't there be plants growing all over the buildings and stuff?"

"Good point, Chopper," Nami agreed. "And while these buildings look old, they don't look_ that_ old."

"Personally, they kind of remind me of this ancient city we went to once called Shandora," Lysopp said. "Only smaller and more white."

"Usopp-ossan!" Luffy complained. "Don't think just because I let you tell that one story I'm going to let you spoil more adventures! Zip it!"

Lysopp flinched. "Right, sorry."

The group moved ahead, and Lysopp was about to follow, but someone pulled him back. When he turned, he saw it was Roronoa.

"Zoro?" Lysopp asked.

"Keep moving and act natural, but we need to talk."

The two men hung at the back of the group, which was moving much more slowly now that they were exploring the ruins. Luffy and Chopper kept running into buildings to see what was in them, despite Nami's warnings that they may not be stable.

Lysopp crossed his arms and looked at the swordsman. "So, what's up?"

"Since we're probably about to meet up with Robin," Roronoa began. "We should decide right now what we're going to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like she was these guys' friend back then, now was she?"

Lysopp's eyes widened and he swore under his breath. That hadn't occurred to him in the slightest. He had been so happy to see Vivi again that he hadn't considered how the past crew would react to a certain future comrade's presence.

"... Vivi's not going to be happy about it," Lysopp stated.

Roronoa frowned. "No, she's not."

"And who knows about the others."

"The cook probably won't care. You saw how he was the first time around."

Lysopp snorted. Yeah, that was true. Sanji would most likely start fawning over Robin's beauty within the first five minutes of meeting her. That didn't mean the others would be as accepting.

"I honestly have no idea as to what we should do," Lysopp muttered.

Roronoa gripped Wado's hilt. "Then I guess we'll just have to wing it."

The two men both frowned, but remained determined. They were not looking forward to whatever lay at the end of this, but it had to be done.

* * *

><p>Vivi noticed almost right away the change in Roronoa and Lysopp's behavior when they entered the ruins. They were acting edgy and... was nervous a good word to use? Maybe for Lysopp, but Roronoa? The princess wasn't sure. Maybe they were just anxious about finding Robin- she certainly was. All of the morbid comments Brook made in her name didn't really do much for her image. There was also the lingering possibility that Robin was under Runo's control already.<p>

Luffy noticed it as well. They were hiding something, and it wasn't like the hiding of a future adventure. It was the kind of hiding that Sanji mentioned, like they felt almost guilty about something. But it wasn't looks of worry or guilt on their faces. These were expressions of anticipation- they were waiting for something. Was it Robin related? Luffy was excited to meet her, because Brook had been awesome and Vivi's description of Franky (a robot man!) made him sound really cool too. How cool was Robin going to be? However, he didn't want the two men to know he was on to them, so he decided to explore the buildings. Maybe he would find something, like the treasure meat they had talked about on the beach.

Luffy exited one of the small structures he had entered- there had been nothing inside except decaying barrels. Everyone had stopped walking and Tony had stopped sniffing the ground.

"What's going on?" the rubberman asked.

"Mr. Tony can't follow Ms. Robin's scent anymore," Vivi answered.

Tony rubbed his nose. "Her scent's all over the place now. She must have done a lot of exploring before we got here."

Chopper sniffed the air. "Besides Robin and us, there's one other scent around here, but it's older. I can't really describe it... it smells like someone young though. A child, maybe?"

"We do know Roronoa's mystery kid is around here somewhere," Sanji pointed out. "Maybe that's her you're smelling."

"Maybe."

"So we have no way of finding Robin's exact location," Nami summarized.

Luffy looked at Roronoa and Lysopp. "Any ideas? She's your crewmate. How should we find her?"

Roronoa shrugged. "Knowing Robin, if she knows we're here, she'll find a way to contact us."

"We could try calling out to her- this place isn't all that big," Vivi suggested.

"That might not be a good idea if she's being mind controlled," Lysopp disagreed.

Tony shuddered. "I really hope she's not and doesn't try to attack us. Robin can be very mean with her abilities. Remember when she did _that_ to Franky?"

The future Straw Hats all took on traumatized expressions and Lysopp joined Tony in his shuddering. It was honestly creeping the rest of the group out that even Roronoa, who was usually unshakable, looked terrified.

"I'm really glad I wasn't around to witness _that_," Roronoa said quietly.

Lysopp hugged himself. "Just hearing about_ that_ later from Luffy was bad enough."

"You guys are lucky. I was actually present when _that_ happened," Tony said, near tears. Then he turned thoughtful. "You know, I don't think I ever checked to see if Franky was fully functional after _that_..."

"WHAT DID SHE _DO_?!" Vivi shrieked, unable to take their freaky attitude any more.

The future Straw Hats simply looked away.

"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AWAY?!"

Chopper hugged Nami's leg. "Nami, I'm scared."

Nami knelt down and hugged him back. "So am I, Chopper. So am I."

Luffy, on the other hand, started laughing. "Shishishi, Robin sounds like a lot of fun! I can't wait to meet her!"

"Me neither!" Sanji agreed, hearts in his eyes. "I'm always happy to see another beautiful lady join the crew!"

"Hey, what kind of person is Robin, anyway?" Luffy asked the older crewmates. "I mean, she's part of my crew so she must be awesome, but I still want to know!"

The rest of the past Straw Hats could honestly admit they were thinking much of the same thing. Except Sanji- he was just fantasizing about how beautiful she was going to be.

"Robin's great!" Tony answered enthusiastically. "She can be a little morbid sometimes, but she's really nice! She always knows great stories and when she goes book shopping she remembers to look for medical texts for me!"

"And she's really smart and knowledgeable!" Lysopp added. "I can't count how many times she's saved our butts because she knew something about where we were or about the situation!"

Luffy looked at Roronoa, expectantly awaiting his answer.

The swordsman smirked. "Robin's a good nakama. That's all you really need know."

That put some of the crew's fears to rest. Zoro, past or future, was a tough audience. That one comment alone meant he held the woman in high esteem.

The pirate captain chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. I hope we can find her soon."

Vivi agreed with that. Hearing Lysopp and Tony's new comments eased some of her earlier inhibitions, but she would rather meet the woman herself. She was about make another suggestion about finding her when she felt something poke her in the back.

"Carue, stop it," Vivi whispered.

She was poked again.

"Carue, I said stop."

There was another poke.

"Carue!" Vivi snapped.

"Quaw?"

Vivi's gaze snapped forward. Carue, as well as anyone else who could have been poking her back, was in front of her. The duck himself was standing next to Luffy.

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "Vivi? Is something wrong?"

"You're... all in front of me..." Vivi said slowly.

"Yeah." Nami stood back up. "And that's important because...?"

"If you're all in front of me... then who's poking me in the back?"

The princess wasn't sure she wanted the answer, but slowly she turned around... and jumped into Sanji's arms, screaming. The chef couldn't even enjoy the moment because he became scared too.

An arm was growing out of the wall. An _arm_. And just like that, more arms appeared along the wall. Arms grew out of arms and grew out of arms, encircling the group almost like a net. If that wasn't bad enough, the arms weren't bare._ Ears_ and _eyes_ were on some of the arms, and those in particular got _really_ close to the pirates from the past, as if interested in them.

That was the last straw. They all began screaming at the top of their lungs.

"AHHHHHH! USOPP WAS RIGHT!" Chopper screamed. "THIS IS A HAUNTED ISLAND!"

The girls just kept screaming and both clung to Sanji, who couldn't even enjoy the new closeness because of all the disembodied _body parts_ surrounding him.

Luffy was the only one not screaming. He was giggling like a maniac and even shook some of the hands.

"Awesome! Arms grow out of walls here!" Luffy's widened as he had what he thought was a brilliant idea. "Hey, do you all want to be my nakama?"

"DON'T ASK DISEMBODIED LIMBS TO JOIN THE CREW!" Nami shrieked. She turned to the future Straw Hats. "RORONOA, DO SOMETH- Roronoa?"

The crew stopped screaming long enough to observe the surreal scene Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony had created. The former two weren't screaming, and Tony... the little reindeer was laughing as several arms growing out of the ground were playfully tossing him up and down.

"Higher, higher!" Tony giggled.

The arms complied and Tony was tossed higher. This made him squeal in delight.

"What-" Nami said.

"- The-" Vivi added.

"- Hell?" Sanji finished.

"Quaw?" Carue threw in.

"COOL!" Luffy exclaimed, running over to where Tony was being thrown. "I wanna try! Throw me, throw me!"

A few more arms popped out of the ground, and this time everyone noticed that when they did, there were small flurries of pink blossoms. The arms lifted Luffy and tossed him up and down just as their brethren were doing for Tony. The rubber boy laughed with zeal.

"Shishishi, this is so much fun!" he laughed. "You guys have got to try this!"

"We're good..." Sanji replied, almost dazed. "What... what is going on exactly?"

Roronoa turned to face them, as if he were just noticing they were there. "Oh, you guys are done freaking out?"

"Screw you, Mosshead!"

"Not even if you paid me."

"Don't you two start!" Nami barked. She gestured wildly to the arms encircling them. "Now be straight with us! What _is_ all this?!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the limbs with the eyes and ears all vanished, dissipating into cherry blossoms. Chopper gave a little excited gasp when he saw them and even tried to catch them between his hooves. The same happened to the arms playing with Luffy and Tony- they disappeared once they had set the two boys safely on the ground. Then two new arms popped out of the wall. One arm had an eye on its palm and an ear on its wrist. The other was bare and waved cheekily at the crew.

"'All this' was just Robin having some fun with you," Lysopp sighed. He turned to the arms. "That was really mean. I hope you know that."

The bare arm waved it off.

"You mean all those arms... they were Ms. Robin?" Vivi asked in disbelief. She then noticed she was still in Sanji's arms and quickly climbed down. Sanji looked sad that the experience had ended.

"Robin ate the Flower Flower Fruit," Tony explained. "She can make any of her body parts bloom anywhere like flowers. She can even create a full-body clone!"

"That's awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "Make more arms, Robin!"

A pair of arms bloomed out of Luffy's sides and began to tickle him. Luffy fell to the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

Sanji put his hand to his chin in thought. "_Any_ body part? Hmmm..."

An arm bloomed on Sanji's shoulder and whacked him upside the head, then it and the arms tickling Luffy vanished. Luffy made a disappointed whining noise and stood back up with help from Vivi.

Roronoa turned to the arm on the wall that had an eye and ear. "Since we're seeing all your arms, I'm going to assume you're nearby?"

The bare arm pointed over the wall it was attached to.

"You're just behind this wall?"

The arm gave him a thumbs up.

"... Are you focusing on something else at the same time and that's why you're not talking to us?"

The arm gave another thumbs up and disappeared along with its one-eyed-one-eared double.

"I guess that's that." Roronoa turned back to the rest of the group. "So, if you're all done screaming like babies, are you ready to meet Robin?"

"As long as she doesn't do that again, I think so," Chopper replied. He paused. "Hey, was _that_ the bad thing she did to Franky?"

Lysopp shook his head. "Unfortunately, no."

"What are we waiting for?!" Luffy declared, not the least bit interested in what torture Robin had inflicted on Franky. "Let's go meet Robin!"

Sanji enthusiastically agreed, no longer deterred by the frightening experience of the blooming limbs. The girls just wanted to get it over with. Luffy started to move toward the opening in the wall, and the rest of the crew followed.

Lysopp stepped in front of him. "Hold on, Luffy."

"_Now_ what?" Luffy huffed.

"Before you go around that wall and say hi, we need to ask something of you and the others."

The nervous feeling Vivi had been having before returned in full force. "Ask us what?"

Roronoa took over. The look he gave them was the most serious they had seen him, and that was saying something. "When you see Robin... try to keep an open mind. Understand?"

They all nodded, but were unsure of why Roronoa and Lysopp were asking this. Was there some reason they wouldn't like Robin? Besides the whole scaring-them-out-of-their-wits debacle anyway.

"You said so yourself, Zoro-ossan," Luffy said confidently. "She's my nakama. What else is there to know?"

Roronoa smirked, but you could tell his heart wasn't in it. "Just let us go first."

With that, Roronoa and Lysopp walked through the opening in the wall, Tony running ahead of them excitedly. After a few moments had passed the rest of the group entered.

The wall opening led to what appeared to be the remains of an old courtyard, surrounded on all four sides by walls- like a roofless box. The ground was covered in overgrown grass and some random flat rocks, and the walls were covered in ancient writing. In the center of courtyard was a white stone bench, and it was occupied.

The occupant was a woman sitting at an angle, with her back facing them. Her long, silky black hair was tied in a loose braid that flopped over her shoulder. She wore a loose red blouse with quarter sleeves, white capris pants, and since she was sitting with her legs crossed, they could see she was wearing white sandals. She also wore a floppy white sunhat with a red ribbon around the base on top of her head. But all around her were arms growing out of the ground and walls, writing notes of piece of paper or taking rubbings of the wall glyphs.

This was Robin, no doubt about it. The group hung back a little, just in case. There was still a chance this woman was under hypnosis. Roronoa and Lysopp were now standing at either side of the bench. Tony ran up to her and jumped into her lap, hugging her around the waist- this made all the bloom arms dissipate. The reindeer was clearly not discouraged by the possible threat.

"_Rooobiiiinnnn_!" he wailed. "I was _sooooo_ worried!"

Robin lifted her real arms a bit in momentary surprise, then gently returned the hug. This made the girls, Chopper, and Luffy smile, while Sanji looked on in jealousy.

"I was so afraid you'd been captured or hypnotized!" Tony continued, nuzzling his face against her stomach. He pulled back suddenly. "You're not hypnotized, right?! Let me see your eyes!"

Robin reached up and removed a pair of gold-tinted sunglasses, setting them down next to her on the bench. Immediately, Tony's face lit up.

"Your eyes aren't glassy! You're not hypnotized!" He hugged her again. "I'm so glad!"

_She seems nice,_ Vivi thought. _And Mr. Tony really likes her. I don't know why I was worried_.

Robin chuckled. "And I'm glad to see you're doing well. I was actually starting to get a little worried myself."

"_I'm just glad we got away from the people who were chasing us."_

The second they heard her voice, the past Straw Hats' hearts each skipped a single beat, except for Chopper. He looked up at his friends and noticed the stricken looks on their faces.

"Guys? What's wrong?" the young doctor ask. "Why do you all look upset?"

If they heard him, they showed no indication. They were occupied at the moment, processing her voice... a voice they knew...

Lysopp picked up some of the pieces of paper on the ground and whistled. "Wow, you've been busy. Is all this going to help you find the True History or something?"

The woman... 'Robin'... shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. I did, however, learn some information I think you'd be interested in hearing."

"_I just happened to run into your dear Mr. 8 a little ways back. He didn't look so good._"

Lysopp crossed his arms. "Same here, but knowing you, you probably know more than we do."

"That's a fair assessment."

"_This ship is nice._"

_No way... there's just no way..._ Vivi thought, sweating. _Why would _she_ be_...

Luffy was also sweating, and he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. Could it actually be...?"

"We'd be more than happy to exchange notes," Roronoa said to her. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "But first..."

"Yes, I know." 'Robin' gently moved Tony from her lap and onto the bench, then stood up. "We have guests."

She turned around to face the group, and they gasped collectively. Nami's jaw dropped and Sanji's eyes widened as his cigarette fell from his mouth. Vivi snarled and pulled out her peacock slashers. Luffy grit his teeth and tightened his fists, anger filling his being. Poor Chopper could only watch his friends' reaction in confusion.

'Robin' was a tall, curvy but athletic woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She had large blue eyes with wide pupils that were filled with intelligence, and a long, defined nose. She was very beautiful, as Sanji had been hoping, but that didn't change the facts.

There was no doubt about it. It was _her_.

She crossed her arms and smiled almost mockingly. "The lost time island does not disappoint, I see. I'm sure there's quite a story behind this."

"What are you doing here..." Vivi growled. "... _Ms. All Sunday_?!"

'Robin... or rather, 'Ms. All Sunday', just removed her sunhat and smiled at her.

Tony gasped and looked between the two women. "Oh _no_. I completely forgot..."

Roronoa rubbed the bridge of his nose. "_This_ is off to a _great_ start."

Lysopp shook his head in dismal agreement.

* * *

><p>It was a stare-off between Ms. All Sunday and the Straw Hats. It was as if one side was just waiting for the other to make a move. This was brief, as finally Ms. All Sunday chuckled.<p>

"'Ms. All Sunday', huh? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a _long_ time." She set down her hat and gave Vivi another smile. "Long time no see, _Ms. Wednesday_. How have you been?"

Vivi's snarl deepened. "Fine, but no thanks to _you_."

Ms. All Sunday just continued to give that irritatingly calm smile, completely unfazed by Vivi's malicious tone.

"I don't get it, who is she?" Chopper piped up. "Why are you guys so angry all of a sudden?"

"Remember when we said Luffy has to beat up a guy named Crocodile in Vivi's country?" Nami said in a tight voice.

"Yes."

"This woman is Ms. All Sunday, his partner."

"What?! She's a _bad guy_?!" But she was being so nice, playing with Tony and Luffy!

"You bet she is," Luffy seethed. "Ms. All Sunday blew up the ship Vivi's tube-haired friend was on and ratted her out to Crocodile!"

"All ancient history, I assure you. I haven't even seen Crocodile in over two years," Ms. All Sunday said, waving it off. "And you can stop calling me 'Ms. All Sunday'; that was just a codename." She placed a hand on her chest. "My real name is Nico Robin, and I am the archaeologist and researcher of the Straw Hat Pirates."

Upon hearing that, some of the anger left Luffy's features, and he was now looking at her with an emotionless, enigmatic expression. Not that the others were paying attention to his face at the moment.

"I remember you!" Sanji gasped. His visible eye turned into a heart. "You're even more beautiful than you were when you appeared on the Going Merry!"

Roronoa facepalmed, while Lysopp muttered, "Knew it."

Ms. All- _Robin_, gave the chef a warm smile. "Why thank you, Mr. Cook."

Sanji spun around in joy. He had a nickname!

"Knock it off, Sanji!" Nami scolded him.

"Ms. All Sunday is the enemy!" Vivi yelled before turning back to the dark-haired woman. "She's the one who _killed_ Igaram!"

Robin's calm smile melted into a vaguely annoyed look. "You can stop right there, Ms. Wednesday. At the risk of revealing too much about future events, I'm telling you right now that while I did cause the explosion aboard Mr. 8's ship, I did not kill him. He survived."

It was as if someone had poured ice water down the princess's spine. "Igaram... _survived_? He's not dead?"

"Believe her!" Lysopp implored. "Robin is telling the truth!"

Tony nodded furiously. "Igaram showed up in Alabasta not long after Luffy defeated Crocodile! He even helped clear your dad's name!"

Vivi fell to her knees, radiating sheer relief. Tears started to well up in her eyes. He was alive... Igaram was really alive. She couldn't believe it, but at the same time could. But why had Ms. All Sunday spared him?

"So she's a good guy after all?" Chopper asked. He rubbed his head. "I'm getting really confused."

"No, Tony," Vivi muttered, looking up and wiping her eyes. "Just because she spared Igaram's life doesn't make her a good guy. She's still helping Crocodile take over my country!"

"_Must_ I repeat that was over two years ago?" Robin sighed. The calm smile returned, but a tad more cheerful. "Would it help if I said I was sorry, Ms. Wednesday?"

Vivi snapped. With a scream of outrage she jumped forward, one hand spinning a Peacock Slasher and the other rearing back a Peacock String.

"_STOP CALLING ME THAT!_" the princess screamed.

"Vivi, stop!" Nami shouted.

Sanji started to chase her. "Vivi-chan!"

Vivi whipped her Peacock String towards Robin. Her target was no longer smiling; she just stood there and closed her eyes.

**_CLANG!_**

The slasher string bounced off a black and red blade, and Vivi felt something big and hairy holding back her arms.

"What the-!" the princess started to protest.

In the time it took to blink, Vivi was now being held back by Tony, who had entered Heavy Point, and Roronoa had drawn his sword to defend Robin. Lysopp had yanked Robin out of the way and the pair was standing off to the side. Even Robin looked like she hadn't been expecting the intervention.

"That's _enough,_" Roronoa said through grit teeth. "Vivi, I know you're upset, but I'm not going to stand by and let you hurt my friend! Now, drop the Slashers!"

The pure authority in his voice made Vivi drop her weapons, and Tony let go of her while returning to Brain Point. Vivi fell to her knees again.

Roronoa re-sheathed Shusui and sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have told you all who Robin was sooner, but I was concerned you would react badly. It disappointments me to see that I was right."

Sanji jogged over to Vivi and helped her stand, not that the princess noticed. Her mind was elsewhere.

_"You'll just have to wait and see Robin for your-" __Roronoa froze, as if he suddenly realized what he was saying. Then, very slowly, he turned to look at Vivi._

_Vivi suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Bushido?"_

_Roronoa looked away and closed his eye, rubbing his temple as he muttered, "Yeah, that might be a problem. And not just for her..."_

That instance made so much more sense now. Of course, his words also implied he had been worried about Robin back then, not just Vivi.

"We know Robin was an enemy in the past, but she's really a good person!" Lysopp said, putting an arm around Robin's shoulders. "We can't imagine the crew without her!"

"Please give her a chance! We promise's she's not bad anymore!" Tony insisted. "She's our nakama!"

Nami's mouth was set in a firm frown, and Chopper looked like he couldn't decide who to agree with. Sanji was tending to Vivi, but did give Robin a conflicted glance. Vivi's face remained stubbornly furious towards the older woman.

At last, Luffy stepped forward and walked over to Robin so that he was in front of her. Everyone watched him to see what he would do.

"Robin, can I ask you something?" he asked solemnly.

Robin removed Lysopp's arm from her shoulders and nodded. "Of course, Captain."

"Why did I let you join the crew?"

The question wasn't asked with ill-intent or accusation. It was asked with genuine curiosity.

Robin crossed her arms again. "You owed me and I had nowhere else to go. Honestly, to this very day I'm surprised I'm still with the crew." She gave a small, fond smile. "I suppose it's just my luck you're so painfully stubborn."

Luffy kept his expressionless face, but also crossed his arms. "I see. There was nothing I could do about it?"

"That's correct, Captain."

"Alright, I understand." He held out his hand. "Welcome to the crew."

Robin giggled, taking the outstretched hand and shaking it. "Thank you."

"What?!" Nami cried out. "You're accepting her just like that?!"

"You heard her. I owed her and she had nowhere else to go," Luffy rationalized. "Besides..."

_... The woman who had killed the funny tube-haired guy and was helping Crocodile take over Vivi's country... looked at him pleadingly. All Sunday reached out to him just as Nami had, and to his surprise, he didn't mind reaching out to take her hand..._

He smiled softly. "... She's my nakama in the future. What else do I need to know to trust her?"

Roronoa smiled at that, as did Lysopp and Tony. Robin looked a little bit baffled for a moment, then smiled too.

Nami groaned. "You_ cannot_ be serious-"

"Oh, Miss Navigator," Robin interrupted, reaching into a backpack laying on the ground next to the bench. "While I was searching the ruins, I found some old gold jewelry. They are surprisingly good quality for their age, so I thought-"

Robin didn't even finish before Nami was hugging her, wearing the very pieces of gold jewelry the former had been taking out of her bag.

"Welcome to the crew, big sis!" Nami said, her eyes now berri signs.

Vivi facepalmed, and Carue mimicked the motion.

Luffy laughed. "See, it's not so hard!"

Chopper stepped out from where he had been hiding the wrong way behind a bush, where he had gone when Vivi tried to attack Robin. "If Luffy trusts her... then I guess I do too."

"You won't regret it!" Tony assured his younger self.

"I know I won't!" Sanji cooed. Vivi elbowed him in the chest in response.

"Okay, now that we're done trying to kill each other, how about we exchange notes about everything we've learned?" Lysopp suggested. "I'm guessing we have a lot to go through."

"That we do, Longnose," Robin agreed. She pointed up towards the statue in the distance. "See that statue over there? Let's meet there and then I'll tell you everything I know so far."

"Huh? You're not coming Robin?" Luffy asked.

Robin gestured to the papers scattered around. She reached down and put back on her sunhat. "I just need to clean up my things first. I'll be right behind you."

"Yosh!" Luffy grabbed Nami's wrist. "Alright, Navigator! Lead us to the statue!"

"Aye-aye, Luffy!" Nami replied, still on her gold high.

Luffy left the courtyard with Nami. The two Choppers were behind him, and Lysopp behind them- though he gave Robin a sympathetic look before he left. Vivi dragged a still love-struck Sanji behind her along with Carue, and completely ignored Robin as they left. The princess was still scowling- she was not happy about this, _any_ of it.

Now only Roronoa and Robin remained in the courtyard. Robin took deep breath and upon releasing it, her smile faded into an expression of unadulterated exhaustion. She slumped where she stood and looked far older than she really was. She was nothing like the confident, mockingly polite woman she had been just a few minutes ago.

Roronoa walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Robin rubbed her tear ducts. "I'm fine- I just haven't slept much of late."

"That's not what I meant."

Robin looked at the swordsman. He was looking at her with concern, but also reprimand for trying to hide her feelings.

The archaeologist gave small, humorless laugh. "You know, there was a time you'd have rather toss me overboard then ask me such things."

Roronoa shrugged. "Things change. Now, let me repeat- are you _okay_?"

Robin sat down on the bench and began to pack up her things. "I always knew I would have to face Princess Vivi someday. Though I can't say I expected it to be like this."

"I doubt even you could anticipate a visit from time travelers," Roronoa said, joining her on the bench. "What was with that whole witch act you had going there? If I didn't know better, I would think you actually _wanted_ Vivi to attack you."

"Now why would I want something like that, Mr. Swordsman?" Robin finished packing her backpack and stood up. "I assure you, I'm fine, for now at least. I'll deal with the Vivi issue later, I promise. Right now we have other matters that require our attention. Shall we go?"

Roronoa waved her off. "I'll be with you in a sec. You can go on ahead."

"Don't take too long. By then I'll be far ahead of you, and I'd hate for you to get lost in these ruins. You would surely starve to death."

"Shuddup, woman."

Robin laughed again, then exited the courtyard. Once she was gone, Roronoa shook his head and took one more look around the courtyard.

_You're far from fine, Robin,_ he thought._ You've started using _those_ names again._

Mr. Swordsman. Mr. Cook. Miss Navigator. All were nicknames she had given them so she would remain detached from the crew and could leave them more easily. And she hadn't used them she since before they rescued her from Enies Lobby.

Roronoa got up from the bench and left the courtyard as well.

Robin wasn't fine- not in the slightest.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 18- The Legend of the Lost Time Island Kāla, As Told By Nico Robin**_

* * *

><p><em>Now, after hearing everything and having time to ponder it, Luffy realized both Roronoa and Vaughan had been right. They weren't ready and now he'd lost several of his crew mates, past and future, to the bounty hunters. He had rushed into it and paid the consequences. So much for Operation Save the Future.<em>

I know Luffy is usually Mr. Confidence, but said confidence has been greatly shaken by humiliating defeat. He's had nothing but victory up until now, so this is a humbling experience.

_Luffy looked up and was surprised to see he wasn't the only one sitting on the big tree branch anymore. Sanji was sitting there with him. (Luffy thought someone was missing from the group below.)_

This was originally going to be Roronoa, but I wanted to show Luffy interacting with some of his other nakama.

But not like this._ The unspoken words rang clearly in the chef's voice, and Luffy noticed them the moment Sanji had started talking._

Aw, Sanji does care!

_"Yes, I did already know that. Care to say other things I already know, like how eating that many bananas is just going to make you mosquito bait?"_

I read somewhere that people who eat a lot of bananas attract mosquitoes because of all the potassium in the fruit. It's science!

_"There is approximately a 47% chance they are the cause. After all, we know next to nothing about this island and what lives on it."_

Saffron is actually making that percentage up. She's not nearly that quick at making calculations. This gag comes from when she was an OC for the original version of _Once Burned_, where she was a loud, obnoxious gambler. She's quite different here.

_Tony shuddered. "I really hope she's not and doesn't try to attack us. Robin can be very mean with her abilities. Remember when she did_ that_ to Franky?"_

I recently rewatched _that_ on my new One Piece DVDs. That poor, poor cyborg.

_Sanji put his hand to his chin in thought. "Any body part? Hmmm..."_

Oda has confirmed it is_ any_ body part, and Sanji's a bit of a pervert. Go figure.

_She had large blue eyes with wide pupils that were filled with intelligence..._

I know in canon, Robin's eyes are brown, I like how they look in the anime better. It's just a personal preference.


	22. The Legend of the Lost Time Island Kāla

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, only my own characters.**

**I told myself it wouldn't happen.**

**I would remain strong, I wouldn't give in.**

**But I gave in.**

**... *Sigh* Despite my vows, I started watching _Naruto_. I told myself to avoid that one until my story was over at least. But I got into it a few weeks ago and I will admit, it's not bad. I avenged my vows by spoiling things for myself and I don't feel guilty in the least. For the most part, this is like when I started watching Fairy Tail during this story. I got a bit distracted, but managed to keep working. Hopefully it will be that way for this. (PS: I like Kakashi, Neji, Shikamaru, and Sai the best!)**

**In other news, it's been over a year since I started this story! With 267 reviews, 346 favorites, and 412 followers, this is my most popular story ever! I was hoping I would have it finished by now, but alas, it's not to be. Thank you all for being with me during the journey! (Anybody want to make a TV Tropes page or fan art for this in my honor?)**

**Also, response to _Llama Lamb72_: Nope! This takes place between Fishman Island and Punk Hazard for the 3D2Y!Straw Hats! More specifically, right after Film Z! (Yes, I know it's technically not canon, but I just pretend the inconsistencies never happened.)**

**This chapter isn't very action-packed, I'm afraid. It's a lot of talking and explanation, mostly from Robin (as the title implies). That's why this chapter is going to be a bit shorter than past ones have been. But don't worry; you're in for a lot of action in the coming chapters, as well as a few surprises.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>SBS 9!<strong>

**Chapter Question: _"If you could have any Devil Fruit, what would it be?"_**

Hmm... I already don't know how to swim very well, but I still probably wouldn't eat one if I had the choice. But if I _were_ to eat one, I think I would want the Gum Gum Fruit. I used to get hit with balls a lot during gym, so it would have been be nice if they didn't hurt (blunt force and all that).

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 18: The Legend of the Lost Time Island <strong>**Kāla, As Told By Nico Robin**

* * *

><p><strong>Location: The Lesser Ruins, at the base of the giant woman statue<br>Time: Still Day**

"So, to summarize: like with the Sunny, Merry got trapped in a super current and was dragged to this island, which is the island of Kāla. While looking for food, Mr. Cook, Mr. Doctor, Princess Vivi, and Carue came across 'Roronoa' unconscious in the woods. After bringing him back to your ship, you concluded that both a past crew and a future crew were on the island, as well as bounty hunters and a native girl. You then met up with Brook and separated to look for the Sunny and Luffy, who went after 'Lysopp.' Nami and Lysopp were temporarily captured by a hunter named Erity, and Luffy was defeated by a red-eyed sniper/swordsman named Vaughan. After that, 'Tony' attacked in Monster Point due to hypnosis. Meanwhile, the Going Merry was ambushed by a swordswoman named Yari, then rescued by Franky, who was actually hypnotized the entire time. At the moment, Franky, Future Sanji, and possibly Future Nami are under the control of a hypnotist named Runo, and Mr. Swordsman, Brook, and Longnose as well as the little native girl have also been captured. You still don't know where the future Luffy is, the hunters are also looking for a lost treasure, the island is time dysfunctional, we _might_ be in Ape's Concert, Observation Haki is hard to use here, and the island _may_ or _may not_ be alive." Robin leaned forward on her hand. "Did I get all that right?"

"Yup," Roronoa said plainly.

"As we told you," Nami said with a nod.

"You have such a good memory, Robin-chwan~!" Sanji cooed.

"_Merry's_ here?" Lysopp said with wonder, as if it had just occurred to him.

"_Humph_," Vivi grumped.

"Quaw!" Carue added.

Robin sighed and took a thermos of tea offered to her by Sanji. "It seems our captain has once again gotten us into another crazy adventure. One would think I'd come to expect it by now."

"Yeah, no kidding," Roronoa agreed. He crossed his arms. "While we're on the subject of the captain, I don't suppose you have an idea as to where we could find our time's, do you?"

Robin shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I haven't seen our Luffy since he left the Sunny. I suppose this is what we get for neglecting to hand out baby Den Dens before going ashore."

"You're telling me."

"And as you said, while we're on the subject of our captain..."

Roronoa's gaze flicked over to the giant lady statue. Said captain was climbing all over it enthusiastically while the group's two resident reindeer were shouting up at him to get down. They apparently thought this activity would strain his injuries.

The swordsman twitched in irritation.

As it had been decided, Nami had led the group to the base of the ruins' giant statue. Once they arrived, Luffy had immediately started climbing it, much to Chopper and Tony's distress. Nami left the doctors to their scolding while she started appraising her new jewelry. Sanji and Lysopp decided to take inventory of their supplies while waiting for Roronoa and Robin to catch up. Vivi, meanwhile, simply sat on a fallen pillar with Carue lying next to her feet. She just stared down at the ground with a moody look on her face, and Carue occasionally nudged her foot in an attempt to get her attention. It was a futile effort; Vivi clearly wasn't up for it given the recent turn of events. It was silently decided amongst the group (that is, the ones _not_ climbing the statue) to let her stew. She wasn't going to make nice with Robin any time soon, that much was obvious.

Soon enough, Roronoa and Robin arrived at the statue, and the group saw it prudent to inform Robin of what had occurred in her absence. Thus leading to the archaeologist's very long summary above.

Roronoa stood up and called out, "Oi, Luffy! Get off that thing before you break it!"

"Aw, come on, Zoro-ossan! This thing is so cool!" Luffy called back, looking very similar to his surname as he grappled onto the statue's fingers. "I want a statue just like this for the Merry! Only bronze!"

"That's not a good idea, Captain!" Robin shouted up to him. "A statue this size would undoubtedly sink the Going Merry and drown you all!"

"Robin!" Lysopp snapped. "Don't say that kind of stuff so casually! Especially not when it comes to the... the..." He flopped to ground, tears streaming from his eyes. "... _Merry..._"

"Usopp!" Tony cried out worriedly, forgetting temporarily to use his new name. He ran over to him. "It's okay! There's no need to be sad about the... the..." The reindeer slumped to the ground as well, also crying. "... _Merry_..."

Roronoa simply sighed at the display.

Nami and Sanji sweatdropped at Lysopp and Tony 's miserable appearance. What happened (or was _going_ to happen) to the Going Merry to evoke such a reaction? And why did Robin feel the need to say something so morbid? They thought Tony and Lysopp had been joking about that! Still, to avoid upsetting the pair further they chose not to question them on it. Vivi wasn't paying attention anyway, so she didn't say anything either.

Despite wanting otherwise, Luffy reluctantly but carefully lowered himself from the statue. Once his feet were on the ground, he let his doctor lead him to where the group was sitting.

Robin gave Luffy a quick smile before turning back to the rest of the crew. "Now, while I appreciate being filled in, I have to admit that there were a few things you told me that I was already aware of."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Vivi asked blandly.

Robin sipped her tea calmly and answered. "For starters, I knew about the bounty hunters, this island being Kāla, and the treasure. I know the basics as well as the lieutenants' identities from my own... _encounters_ with some of the lesser hunters"

The way she said 'encounters' made it sound like the most horrible thing in the universe. Lysopp, Tony, (both of whom had managed to recover some) and Roronoa winced in unison. The rest of the crew- save Luffy- sweatdropped again.

"Um, big sis? Mind if I ask you something?" Nami piped up innocently. "This treasure... you wouldn't happen to know what it is, do you?"

Robin blinked.

"You're _still_ on that?!" Roronoa barked.

"Ooh, ooh, is it meat?!" Luffy asked excitedly.

"What about gold?! Doctor said pirates love gold!" Chopper threw in.

"I remember that!" Tony added.

"I once found a lost treasure in an island in the sky..." Lysopp reminisced.

"Liar," Nami snorted.

"Am not! That actually happened!"

"Usopp-ossan! No future stuff!

"Everyone who's not Nami, _shut up_!" Sanji demanded, breaking into the exchange. "How is Robin-chan supposed to answer if you don't give her a chance to?!"

"It doesn't matter; I can't really answer," Robin admitted. "I have no idea what the treasure is- all I know is that in lore it is referred to as the 'Star of Kāla" and it's very precious. No one knows what it could be."

"Humph," Vivi grunted. "The bounty hunters obviously have _some_ idea of what it is, or they wouldn't be trying so hard to find it."

"Not necessarily. When people hear of a lost treasure, they usually don't think about what it could be. They only care about the riches and prestige that comes with finding it."

Vivi scowled, but silently conceded that point was correct.

Robin leaned back in her seat. "In all honesty, my knowledge about Kāla itself and the lore surrounding it is very limited. It was never something that really took up my interest beyond hearing the story when I was a child." She gained a thoughtful expression. "Although..."

"What is it, Robin?" Chopper asked.

"I do recall that back on my..." She swallowed. "... my home island, the archaeologists were sometimes visited by a colleague from Śapatha Island. His name was Barun, I believe. He was researching a lost civilization, but he always asked if they had new information about Kāla. In fact, he was the person I originally heard the legend from..."

She recalled the instance. It felt like so long ago...

_"Ah, Robin-chan!"_

_Five-year-old Robin turned from the bookshelf she was perusing. She was approached by a tall, tan man in his late twenties, with dark hair and dark eyes. He smiled widely at her, leaning over her. The shiny medallion he always wore hung in her face._

_"Hello, Mr. Barun," she said politely. "It's been awhile. Are you here to see Professor Clover again?"_

_"Just finished talking with the geezer. As usual, he had nothing for me." He sighed morosely. "First Chimp has nothing, then Clover has nothing... it's like I've hit a rut." He gave the little girl a mockingly serious expression. "Never hit a rut, Little Robin. It's the most depressing thing ever."_

_Robin nodded. She found Barun to be an odd person- it was best to just humor him when he got like this. "You shouldn't call Professor a geezer."_

_"He calls me a brat, so it's only fair." Barun stuck out his lip and pouted. "I'm married and I have a two year old. I'm hardly qualified to be classified as a brat."_

_Robin dimly remembered him forcing baby pictures on the archaeologists last time he came to the library... that had been a little less than two years ago. She had only recently started going to the library herself around that time. "How is your son?"_

_"Vajra? He's doing fine- a little sickly, but the doctors said he'd grow out of it." He whipped out pictures. "Wanna see his most recent photos? I got one of him in the bath tub, and one of-"_

_"No, thank you," Robin told him bluntly. _

_When she saw the unbearably-hurt expression of his face two seconds later, she felt a little guilty. She was about to apologize when Barun suddenly took the book she was holding out of her hands. _

_"What's this?" he asked. He read the title aloud. "'The Tale of the Island of __Kāla,' huh?"_

_Robin shrugged. "It's just a silly bedtime story."_

_Barun gasped, aghast. "Nico Robin! I thought you wanted to be an archaeologist."_

_"I do."_

_"Then how can you dismiss this as a silly bedtime story? All legends have roots in history, and this one is no different." __He shoved the book back on the shelf and sat Robin on the ground. "Listen up, Robin-chan. I'm going to tell you the legend, since it's obvious you've been deprived in some way. I hope you can find the history in it. And who knows, maybe you'll be able to help find it someday."_

_"You want to find __Kāla?" Robin asked curiously. "Why? I thought you just asked the professor about that lost tribe all the time."_

_Barun sat down as well. He gave her a playful smile and held a finger to his lips. "It's a secret."_

_Robin puffed out her cheeks in mild annoyance. _

_Barun laughed and poked her cheek. "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older. Now, let's go on with the story, ne? Robin-chan?"_

"... Robin-chan? Robin-chan!"

Robin shook herself out of the memory and willed herself to pay attention. "I'm sorry, what?"

Sanji, who was standing in front of her, crossed his arms. "You kind of just blanked out. Is something the matter?"

She shook her head. "No, of course not. Now, where was I?"

"The legend!" Luffy supplied for her helpfully. "Vivi and Brook said they'd heard it before, but they didn't remember any of it! But you said you heard, so that means you can tell us, right?"

"You want to hear it? I thought you didn't like long stories."

Roronoa reached over and shoved Luffy's hat over his face before the latter could reply. "Taking into account we're on the crazy-messed-up island the legend is about, it might help us if we got some insight."

Luffy pushed his swordsman's hand away. "I figure this will be like listening to one of Usopp's stories, and those are always pretty good!"

"Please," Lysopp scoffed. "My tales of greatness are way more fantastic than any mere dusty legend."

"Then luckily for you, this story is actually not that long, but it isn't terribly exciting I'm afraid," Robin admitted. "It also tells little about the time travel and what not. Still, if you all think it will help, I'll tell you it."

"What about that Barun guy you were just talking about?" Nami asked.

"I'll come back to him. Allow me to tell the legend first."

Almost immediately, the entire group was now sitting in front of her, like preschoolers anticipating a story from their teacher. Luffy, Chopper, and Tony took the front- looking the most excited- while Vivi and Carue purposely hung in the back.

"Let's see..." Robin muttered. How did Barun tell it? "Ah, yes. A long, long time ago..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>A long, long time ago (or not, given the subject of this story), there was an island. An island with beaches the color of cherry blossoms and forests that glittered in the sunlight. An island where night and day interchanged at an irregular pace. An island that did not call any one sea it's home, or existed in any one time. This island came to be known as Kāla, or more simply, Time Island.<em>**

**_The island was seen in the Four Blues and the Grand Line, never appearing in the same place twice. Those who had seen it claimed that it was surrounded in a mysterious fog, effectively hiding it from the outside world. But if the island was so elusive, then how was it known that it had a jungle and strange sunsets and sunrises? That is because one day, someone was actually able to disembark on the island._**

**_It wasn't anyone special, mind you. Just a simple fisherman in the Northern Sea who was trying to earn his keep. He'd heard of the disappearing island, but he never thought it existed until it appeared before him. In fear he tried to sail away from it, but found he couldn't. His fishing boat had been caught in a mysterious current that seemed to be dragging him towards the landmass. He eventually gave up and resigned himself to his fate as he entered the fog._**

**_When he emerged he was stunned. Outside of the island it was the dead of winter, with snow falling and the seasonal fish swimming abundantly. Here, the sky was clear and the sun's warmth made it feel like summer. It was as if the season had been completely flipped. The fisherman managed to collect himself long enough to weigh anchor and head ashore._**

**_The island (_****_Kāla, as we know it to be) took his breath away. How was it possible for something so beautiful to exist? In a near daze, he moved from beach to the jungle of giant trees. He felt like something was leading him there and had no idea what it was. It wasn't long before he came across a wondrous sight- the remains of an ancient city. The remaining structures were built from white stone, and in the dead center of the ruins was a statue of a goddess. As he entered the ruins he took in his surroundings, not noticing he was no longer alone._**

_**"I see I have yet another visitor."**_

_**The fisherman jumped in surprise and turned. Sitting on the wall behind him was a woman like he had never seen. She had hair the vibrant color of poppies, and eyes that shone like the finest gold. In her hand she carried a staff, like some sort of wise priestess, but that couldn't be so- she was so young. **_

_**But she was- she was Calypso, the guardian priestess of the island. **__**He simply gaped at her, and she smiled.**_

_**"Did I surprise you that badly?" she asked. She leaned forward. "Tell me- are you really a visitor or are you here to claim what the island holds?"**_

_**"I'm just a visitor. I'm not entirely sure how I came to be here," he insisted. He paused. "You've had other visitors here? I never heard of anyone coming to this island before!"**_

_**"Before, after- it depends on how you view it. Time is fickle here, as is memory- it does whatever it wants." She pointed to the sky. "Look- it is only early morning and already the sun has begun to set."**_

_**Indeed it was. Calypso simply laughed at his gaping and took the fisherman deeper into the ruins. She told him of past visitors- of the eras they claimed to be and the positions that they held. This was when it was learned that the island traveled not just through space, but time as well. She showed him ancient treasure and technologies from the far future that had simply washed up on the island. She showed him the fruit glades where the fruit was always ripe, and even tamed a Lake Lord (the freshwater relative to the common Sea King) right before his very eyes. He was never sure of how much time was passing, but that could be chalked up to **_**_Kāla_**_**'s influence. **_

_**"My lady," the fisherman said at one point.**_

_**"Yes?" Calypso replied.**_

_**"When I first arrived here, you asked me if I was here to claim what the island holds. What did you mean?"**_

**_Calypso_**_** frowned but answered. "This island serves a greater purpose than you could ever know. It hides something very important."**_

_**Important it was. Many years ago (or not, again, due to the nature of **_**_Kāla), an ancient people came to _****_Kāla in order to hide a precious treasure. The treasure was said to have been given to humanity by the heavens, and all who saw it intended to grasp it. However, those who would grasp it always intended to misuse it. Thus it was sealed away on the Time Island, so those who were greedy and unworthy would not be able to possess it. This treasure became known as the Star of _****_Kāla, named after the celestial bodies it was said to have originated from._**

**_"And it is my solemn duty to watch over the treasure, and see to it that no one abuses its power," Calypso said. "Already many of my visitors have come here hoping to claim it. I do not even know how they manage to find this place."_**

**_"You watch over it, all by yourself?" the fisherman asked._**

**_Calypso was the only human who lived on the island. The last surviving member of a long-dead race. She knew this and gave the fisherman a sad smile. _**

**_"Yes, but I endure it. I have promises to keep and I would rather die than break them."_**

**_The time eventually came for the fisherman to leave the island. As he sailed away, the current that had brought him there now taking him far from the paradise, he saw Calypso standing on a far off cliff. She was watching him leave with the most sorrowful of expressions on her face._**

**_Once again, Calypso was alone. She may get more visitors, but she is left alone to watch over the Star of _****_Kāla until the end of time._**

**_And who knows? Perhaps, one day, K_****_āla will bring her there. _**

* * *

><p>"... The end," Robin finished. "Like I said earlier, the legend's not terribly long or exciting, and information about time travel is nil. I apologize for that."<p>

"... So this whole time there's been a hot priestess somewhere on this island?!" Sanji said almost immediately.

"_THAT'S_ WHAT YOU GOT OUT OF THAT STORY?!" Tony and Lysopp yelled at him.

"Moron," Roronoa huffed.

"The legend barely told us anything about the treasure," Nami mourned.

"Nami! Roronoa said that's not a priority!" Chopper scolded her.

Vivi remained silent, and Carue simply looked on stoically (or about as stoic as a duck can get).

Luffy crossed his arms but made no comment either.

"Mr. Cook, please keep in mind that the legend may not be a hundred percent accurate," Robin warned. "Some parts are, obviously- such as the beach, the jungle, the interchanging day and night, and these ruins of course. However, I have a feeling that the priestess you're so excited about seeing is only twelve years old."

Sanji reeled back in horror. "What the-?!"

"Roronoa," Robin said, turning to the swordsman. "Your 'mystery kid' who was captured- do you remember what she looked like? Her hair or eye color perhaps?"

Roronoa thought back. "I do actually. Her hair was this ridiculous shade of red, the kind you think only exists in boxes of crayons. And I think her eyes may have been yellow or something. I wasn't really looking."

"'Hair the vibrant color of poppies, and eyes that shone like the finest gold,'" the archaeologist quoted. She smiled. "Sounds like our 'priestess' to me. And it just so happens that I met her."

The swordsman perked up. "You did?"

"Yes. She was the one who told me where to find these ruins."

"Was this before she got captured by the bounty hunters?" Chopper asked.

"No, it was after. I found her in a cage in the bounty hunters' camp-"

"You know where their camp is?!" Vivi blurted out. She looked more angry, if that was possible. "Then why didn't you try to free any of the crew, or the little girl for that matter?!"

"For starters, none of the captured crew was there when I was. I didn't even know any of us_ had_ been captured until I got there. Second, I offered to free her but Siobhan told me that she was going to wait."

Vivi scowled, then crossed her arms and looked away.

"You'll need to tell us where the camp is later," Sanji said, still sulking a little about the fact his 'hot priestess' was just a kid.

"Of course, Mr. Cook."

"Siobhan?" Luffy broke in, catching on the different name. "I thought the mistress-"

"Priestess," Lysopp corrected.

"- was named Cantaloupe," Luffy finished.

"You mean 'Calypso.' Siobhan is what she told me her name was." Robin smiled. "She was quite interested in the fact I was a pirate. I think you two are going to get along."

Luffy gave her a smile back. He liked the prospect of a new friend, especially one that appeared to all lonely on an island. She sounded like she could use friends too.

"So they're not the same person!" Sanji concluded hopefully.

"Not quite," Robin disagreed. "The name is possibly our next inconsistency. Over time, legends get muddled since most of them are passed down orally. However, this inconsistency is explainable. The legend originated in the West Blue, and it just so happens that there used to be an island in the West Blue called Calypso Island. On this island, there was a race who lived there known as the Saṅkalpa Tribe."

"And that matters because...?" Vivi said a little snappishly.

"According to the few surviving ancient texts, the Saṅkalpans were described as having red hair and golden eyes." Robin's face became serious. "They were also the members of the lost civilization Barun was studying on top of looking for Kāla. It's hardly a coincidence."

"Why did this Barun guy want to find Kāla anyway?" Nami inquired. "Did he want the treasure or was it just for adventure's sake like some people we know?"

'Some people', being the Goofy Trio, gave her a thumbs up. (Or just lifted their hoof, in Chopper and Tony's case).

Robin shrugged. "He never told me, and I never saw him again after I turned seven. Last I heard of him, he had apparently died in a pirate attack on his village back on Śapatha Island. I have no way of knowing he if ever even found Kāla or the lost civilization of the Saṅkalpa."

"Oh."

"How can a civilization get lost?" Luffy asked curiously. "Were they all idiots like Zoro?"

"Would you give that a rest?!" Roronoa snapped at him.

"Not that kind of lost, Captain," Robin, said shaking her head. "I meant it's lost in that the tribe and island no longer exist. In my years of research, I learned that nearly 700 years ago, both were annihilated by the then-new World Government. It happened in only one day."

Eye-widening occurred greatly. Not even Vivi could give Robin a dirty look at that declaration.

"Annihilated in a day?!" Chopper exclaimed. "How is that possible?!"

"According to reports I required thanks to some associates I gained in the last couple years, the World Government officially announced that the Saṅkalpa were planning a hostile takeover." Robin's expression darkened. "Since it was so early on when this happened and the attack was imperfect, more information about the race survived which is why I know what I know. This doesn't change the fact, however, that Calypso was the first island in known history to ever receive a Buster Call."

"Damn," Lysopp whispered.

Roronoa closed his eye. Tony gave Robin a sympathetic look.

"A Buster Call?" Vivi echoed. She sounded almost fearful.

Luffy glanced at her. "You know what that is?"

"I've heard about it from my father- it's a devastating Marine attack. A fleet of ten navy warships led by five vice admirals converge on a targeted island and totally bombard it until nothing's left."

While Vivi was loathe to admit she had led a rather sheltered life, her father had actually only told her about this because one of their guests had brought it up and she hadn't known what it was. She wasn't even officially supposed to know about it. The whole time her father told her, he'd had this grim expression that she didn't like. It looked so wrong on him.

"My father told me one island in the West Blue received it twenty years ago," Vivi went on. "Some place called Ohara. The inhabitants were trying to destroy the world or something."

Robin stiffened, and only the future Straw Hats and Luffy noticed. Despite this, none of them said anything.

"That's terrible!" Nami shouted. "Guilty or not, how can the World Government wipe out two islands and their people so easily?!"

"As much as I hate to say it, we can discuss the justification of the World Government later," Sanji said. He turned to Robin. "Did you have point, Robin?"

"Oh, yes, I did," Robin replied, collecting herself. "The destruction of the Saṅkalpa confirms the part of the legend that dictates Calypso- or more precisely, Siobhan- as being the last of her race. But more importantly, the writing on the walls of these ruins are all ancient Saṅkalpan text. It's possible they originated here on Kāla." Robin reached into her bag and removed some of the papers. "Most of the text merely spoke of tribe, their beliefs, and their customs. But..."

She got up from where she sat and walked over to the base of the giant statue. It was only then the crew noticed that, like many of the walls in the ruins, it was engraved with the same strange symbols.

Robin placed her palm against the writing. "... this writing _here_ is not ancient. In fact, if I had to estimate I'd say this engraving is less than five years old." She held up a piece of paper. "This writing here says, '_We leave this as a warning to those who would seek out the Star. May the blood of Saṅkalpa, Ike, and Vidyā never mix, lest you wish to unleash its horror upon the sea once again._'" Robin moved back to the group and sat down. "The Ike and the Vidyā are two other races in the West Blue, only they still exist today- but let's forget about them for a moment and focus on the second part of the text. Answer me this; why would something considered a precious treasure be called a horror?"

A perfectly valid question, but not one easily solved. They were pirates after all- treasure was usually considered a good thing no matter what it was.

It was Roronoa of all people who answered. "Unless it wasn't actually a treasure to begin with. You said so yourself, Robin. Legends get muddled."

Robin nodded. All of a sudden, expressions of terror appeared on Lysopp and Tony's faces. They too got what she was trying to imply. The rest of the group was left to wonder. It was so out of nowhere that Nami didn't even complain about the loss of a possible cash-gain.

"W-Wait, Robin. You're not saying..." Lysopp stuttered.

Robin nodded again. "That's our next inconsistency. The Star of Kāla may very well be some kind of ancient weapon, or even one of the Great Three; Pluton, Poseidon, or Uranus. It's most likely the last one."

The past crewmates had no idea what these 'ancient weapons' were, but going off of how serious all of the future crewmates looked, it was far from a good thing.

"That makes no sense! Why would _bounty hunters _be looking for this treasure or weapon or whatever of all things?!" Lysopp hollered.

"It makes sense that they're trying hunt _us_ down, but this?!" Tony squealed. "It's totally out of character for bounty hunters!"

Luffy, upon hearing this, remembered something.

"_Fact of the matter is, I've been ordered to take you down. Boss and Erity figure turning you in will place the former back in the good graces of the Navy._"

"... Maybe it's because their boss is in trouble with the Navy," Luffy said.

Everyone turned and gave Luffy a slightly bewildered look.

"When I was fighting Vampire Guy, he said he wanted to take me down so his boss could get back on the Navy's good side," Luffy explained. "Maybe it has something to do with that."

"What, they're trying to take us down and get the Star just because they're trying to get their boss a better reputation?" Sanji theorized.

"That would mean the World Government knows exactly what the Star of Kāla is and they want it," Roronoa added.

Robin thought about that. "Hmm. It wouldn't be the first time the World Government has held vital information from the public. And taking what I already know of Carrion, it's a valid theory." She raised an eyebrow and turned towards Luffy. "It's unusual of you to draw such conclusions, Captain. I'm impressed."

Luffy didn't reply save a brief shrug.

Sanji frowned. He guessed Luffy, despite his earlier enthusiasm, wasn't completely back to normal.

Robin gave Luffy a concerned look before turning back to the group. "The World Government, like the majority of people, think Kāla is just a legend but they would indeed know of a great weapon's existence. Carrion, being a former marine, would definitely see the advantage of procuring a weapon to aide in the destruction of pirates. If you include that to apprehending the infamous Straw Hat Pirates, then his former superiors would definitely reinstate or even promote him."

Chopper raised his hoof, much like a timid student. "How did he get on the Marines' bad side in the first place, Robin?"

"I'm not sure. I heard he'd tried to access certain navy secrets and was discharged for betraying the Navy's trust."

"That _bastard_!" Luffy snarled suddenly, jumping to his feet. "He's attacking my friends, making them attack _each other_, just so he can his old job back?! And after he betrayed his own nakama for no reason?!" He pounded his fist into his palm. "He's going to pay for this!"

"Calm down, Luffy," Vivi said, pulling gently Luffy's arm. "Don't rush into this."

"I'm not going to!" Luffy yelled. He walked up to Robin. "Robin, are you sure you don't know where to find the older me?"

Roronoa raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure. Why do you ask?" Robin replied.

"If we're going to rescue our friends and make the rotten meat guy pay, we need more future people," the rubberman replied. "We can't take him and Vampire Guy and the rest as we are now!"

The entire group now shared a similar thought- had Luffy actually _thought this through_?

... Okay, he was _definitely_ still not all better from earlier.

"... I'm with Luffy," Sanji agreed hesitantly, stubbing out a cigarette. "If the fifth strongest bounty hunter was able to trounce Zoro, Vivi, Usopp as well as our future pervy skeleton, we're in need of a bit of back up."

"What are we, chopped sushi?" Lysopp asked, a little insulted.

"Yeah, we can take Carrion and his goons on, no problem!" Tony declared.

Nami hugged her arms. "Erity nearly killed me, and Vaughan nearly killed Luffy. I'm sure you guys are strong, but I'd feel better about this if future Luffy were here too. Besides, the hunters have an entire camp full of men- that's a lot for just four people. It's not like the rest of us will be able to help."

"Yeah, we're all too weak," Vivi muttered bitterly.

"Quaw," Carue added in depression.

The past Straw Hats hung their heads, remembering their failures up until this point. That is, except for their captain. Luffy just clenched his fists.

Roronoa scoffed. "Stop being stupid. None of you guys are weak. Not even the Cook."

The past Straw Hats gave him incredulous looks.

"But you said-" Chopper began.

"I didn't tell you not to fight those of us from the future because you're all weak. Sure, you may be weak_er_ in comparison with most of the people here, but that doesn't make you weak people," he explained as if it were obvious. "It just means you have room for improvement, and if what you've seen here is any indication,you _do_ improve in the next few years. I mean, just look at Lysopp."

Lysopp nodded. "Yeah, just look at- _hey_!"

"Look, I know where you're coming from. With Arlong, Krieg, and Wapol, you guys have had nothing but victory up until now. You've entered a mindset that tells you you're invincible when obviously you're not. That's why the fact you've been defeated so easily now is bothering you all so much. If anything, this is a huge lesson in humility that's long overdue."

"Is that why you called us 'overconfident rookies' before?" Luffy asked. He looked considerably less furious now.

Roronoa nodded. "I know how I was- how we all were- in the past. When reality rears its heads, it's ugly. That's why I keep telling you not to rush into this. You're not weak people, but you're not strong enough to defeat this kind of enemy. Not yet."

Luffy pursed his lips, then slowly nodded. "... Okay, I got it. What do you, Robin, Usopp-ossan, and Chopper-ossan think we should do then?"

Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony all looked at Robin. She arguably the smartest Straw Hat there.

"I'd say that, for now, we focus on retrieving Mr. Swordsman, Longnose, Brook, and Siobhan- if she wants us to- from the hunter encampment," Robin suggested. "And, if possible, try to free Franky, Future Nami, and Future Sanji. Getting our respective ships back can wait. Once that's done, then we can find Future Luffy and discuss taking down Carrion and his men. But in order to do that, we'll need to be covert."

Sanji lit a fresh cigarette. "You have a plan?"

"The beginnings of one." Robin gave Sanji a soft smirk. "I'd like to go over it with our crew's best strategist, if that's alright with you."

Sanji, realizing that Robin was talking about him, blushed furiously. Then, as per usual, he went straight into mellorine mode. "Robin-chwan! I'd be honored to help you hone your brilliant beginnings of a plan!"

"Looks like we're getting some action," Roronoa said, a predatory grin on his face.

"You better not fight!" Chopper and Tony cried out in unison. "You're still injured, and we're not going to sew up your shoulder again!"

"I-Isn't this a little s-sudden?" Lysopp tried to argue.

"No use, Lysopp. Luffy's already gotten it into his head that we're going," Nami sighed, jerking her thumb at the boy in question. Sure enough, Luffy was practically bouncing in place. She turned to Robin. "Robin, which way do we start going in?"

"Due east of where we're standing," the older woman replied.

"Yosh!" Luffy hollered. "Lead us to the camp, Robin, Nami! We're counting on you!"

With Luffy's order, everyone stood up and started moving straight due east (the two doctors were sure to keep a grip on Roronoa's wrist so he wouldn't get lost). Robin hung back briefly, then stepped forward to join them. As she moved toward the rest of the crew, Vivi suddenly stepped in front of her path.

Robin stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't trust you," Vivi said bluntly.

"That much was evident," Robin said in monotone.

"I don't trust you," Vivi repeated, "But for whatever reason, Luffy does and I trust Luffy and his judgement. So, for now, I'm willing to call a truce. At least until we rescue Mr. Bushido and the others."

The archaeologist's eyes widened uncharacteristically.

"Is that fine with you?" Vivi asked sternly, not really leaving room for argument.

"... That's fine with me."

Vivi nodded, then turned on her heel and jogged over to Luffy and the rest of the gang. Robin, meanwhile, was still a bit too shell-shocked to follow suit.

Finally, Robin tiredly ran her hand through her hair and slowly started moving to catch up with the others.

"Well," she sighed to herself. "It's a start."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp, Jungle's Northern Sector<br>Time: Sunset**

_The air was filled with smoke. The sounds of cannon fire and clashing swords rang through the air. And..._

_... Holy crap, had he just jumped off a BRIDGE?!_

_The rest of the crew was doing the exact same thing, as far as he could see. Not a single one of them looked frightened- though a couple of them had tears falling from their faces, they all smiled._

_"GO!" Nami and Sanji shouted._

_"GO!" Chopper, Zoro, and who he assumed to be a pre-modification Franky shouted._

_"TO THE SEA!" two unfamiliar women shouted- hold on, was that Miss All Sunday?"_

_They all free-fell without a hint of panic on their faces, despite the fact they were fast approaching the sea below and they had devil fruit users among them. Why were they all so calm? _

_"Let's go back everyone!"_

_Usopp was startled. That was a voice he'd never heard before. But where was it coming from? He glanced from side to side, ignoring another large explosion as it went off, and then he saw it._

_No; he saw _her_. Sailing across the waters, unmanned, was... was... _

_"Back to the seas of adventure!"_

_"EVERYONE!" he felt himself scream. "GET ON BOARD THE MERRY!"_

_The Going Merry, looking more battered than ever, sailed directly beneath them. Her figurehead smiled up at them._

_"MEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRY!" Luffy hollered. _

_It was only in that moment that Usopp realized where the mystery voice was coming from. _

No way,_ he thought. _That's impossible_!_

_"I came to get you!" Merry announced. _

"Rise and shine!"

Usopp was forced into consciousness by someone dumping cold water on him. He started awake, kicking his legs wildly and banging the back of his head against something hard.

The sniper blinked back the tears of pain that threatened to emerge, then fully opened his eyes. Five seconds later, he wished he hadn't.

He was tied to a wooden pole with thick chains, in the middle of a camp next to a small bonfire.

Joining him in being chained to the pole was Brook, who was looking listless and weak (for a skeleton).

Standing around him were countless people, each one armed to the teeth and staring at him as if he were a prime cut of ribs.

Runo stood in front of him, smirking and proudly swinging an empty metal bucket.

Lastly, his eyes fell on a cage that was situated in front of him and Brook. Inside the cage was a young girl sitting cross-legged.

"Wow," she commented sardonically. "And here I thought I woke up weird."

That did it. Usopp took a deep breath and lost it.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 19: Camp Assault Part 1- Know Thy Enemy**_

* * *

><p><em>Robin dimly remembered him forcing baby pictures on the archaeologists last time he came to the library... that had been a little less than two years ago. She had only recently started going to the library herself around that time. <em>

I think Robin was about three when she started attending the library. She still looked really young in that flashback episode.

_"The beginnings of one." Robin gave Sanji a soft smirk. "I'd like to go over it with our crew's best strategist, if that's alright with you."_

Sanji has proved himself to be an excellent strategist on more than one occasion. Just see him during the Alabasta and Enies Lobby Arcs. He's awesome!


	23. Know Thy Enemy

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, only my OCs.**

**As you can see, I have removed the notice and preview. If you want to review and already "reviewed" the previous "chapter 23", then leave an anonymous review! Now, on to business.**

**To begin, I'd like to thank everyone for their support upon learning I had been plagiarized. "Meet the future" has since been removed from the site! Thanks again to Wordlet for being the first to notify me. You rock!**

**Second, thanks again to SomebodyLost for creating this story's awesome new cover image. I was truly touched that a near-complete stranger would do something so nice and generous for me. Thank you again, SomebodyLost. You made me so, so happy with this gift!**

**Third, I have discovered that someone already _has _made a TV Tropes page for this! It's unlisted, which is why I never found it before. I put the link to it in my profile, so ya'll feel free to add to it! It still needs a little love! (Whoever made it in the first place, THANK YOU. You fulfilled a dream of mine!)**

**Fourth, my artistically inclined sister has begun posting comic pages of select scenes from this story on her tumblr and deviantart. If you want to follow her, her account is goldenrose101 on tumblr and deviantart.**

**Fifth, I have decided that this story should be divided into arcs. I have come up with a somewhat plausible system, though arc lengths may vary:**

**Arc 1: **_Arrival Arc (Chapters 1-8)._ Contains the Straw Hats' arrival on the island and their initial meetings with Roronoa and Brook.  
><strong>Arc 2: <strong>_Straw Hat Round-Up Arc (Chapters 9-17)._ The Straw Hats split up to seek out their future crew, and we learn where they all are save for Future Luffy.  
><strong>Arc 3:<strong> _Surprises_ _Clash Arc (Chapters 18-?)._ The Straw Hats decide to covertly get their captured friends back, but not all goes as planned. This arc contains the Camp Assault, revelations, and one of the two flashback chapters I planned for this story.  
><strong>Arc 4: <strong>_Star Race Arc (Chapters ?-?)_. The clock is ticking as both sides converge on the Star of Kāla. This arc contains the second flashback chapter.  
><strong>Arc 5: <strong>_Leviathan's Awakening Arc (Chapters ?-?)_. The final showdown between the Straw Hats and the bounty hunters... on top of dealing with a new horror unleashed on the island.  
><strong>Arc 6:<strong> _Departure Arc (Chapters ?-?)_. As conflict ends, the pirates of both past and future say their goodbyes and leave the island.  
><strong>Mini-Arc:<strong> _After Dawn... Or The Epilogues._ This story will have more than one epilogue. It should only be one or two chapters.

**This chapter offers a little more insight into the enemy, hence the chapter's title. If you like my OCs, good for you! If you don't, tough. Carrion and the gang are no different the CP9, the Dressrosan royal family, and people like them. They are necessary for the story, and I will be focusing on them. The two flashback chapters I planned focus on my OCs, not unlike Kyros' flashback or Lucci's. If you don't like OCs, then you really shouldn't be reading a story with OCs in it anyway. I better not get complaints, because if I do, this is what I will say: This is MY story, not yours. I will write it however I want, with whatever OCs I want. **

* * *

><p><span><strong>SBS 10!<strong>

**Chapter Question: "_Which of the anime openings is your favorite?"_**

It used to be a tie-up between "One Day", "Fight Together" and "Hands Up!", but I really like the newest one, "Hard Knock Days." What can I say? When it comes to the anime openings, Toei knows how to pick them.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 19: Know Thy Enemy<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp, Jungle's Northern Sector<br>Time: Sunset (which is lasting unusually long...)**

Usopp was no stranger to bad days. Heaven knows he's had plenty of them.

Like the day he accidentally ate a poisonous mushroom- that was a bad day. The day his mother died- that was even worse. The day he discovered his best friend's butler was an evil pirate and wanted to kill her and all the villagers- that started out as a bad day but got much better when he made new friends and joined a pirate crew.

But today? Yeah, it was definitely shaping out to be a _very_ bad day. First, the cyborg he'd bonded with had actually been a hypnotized drone. Second, he'd been forced to watch one of his first crewmates get flambéed by another hypnotized future crewmate. Third, he'd gotten electrocuted by presumably yet _another_ hypnotized future crewmate.

Finally, he'd woken up to find himself tied to a pole, unarmed, right in the middle of a camp full of people who wanted to kill him and/or turn in his future self's bounty. At least Runo had walked away after pouring water on him. He was one of the last people Usopp wanted to deal with right now.

And to put a cherry on top of everything, he had no idea where Zoro was. Brook didn't either.

"I woke up before you, Usopp-san," Brook said weakly. "Zoro-san wasn't here then either."

Usopp grit his teeth. "This is not good... who knows what these psychos are doing to him. Are you sure you can't do _anything_?"

"Under normal circumstances I could have my soul leave my body and look for him or even Luffy-san." Brook struggled uselessly against the chains. "But these chains appear to be made of sea prism stone. I can't use my powers."

Usopp raised a confused eyebrow. "Sea prism stone?"

"It's a special mineral that gives off the same energy as the ocean. It weakens those who possess cursed fruit abilities," the other prisoner in the vicinity replied before Brook could. She was standing, leaning against the side of her cage. "Might I remind you that you have someone here who's been in the camp since it was set up and therefore could have a plethora of information for you?"

Usopp sighed. And then there was _her- _Roronoa's 'mystery kid.' (At least, he _assumed_ this was her. Then again, how many little kids could possibly be running around on the island?) She had to be one of the weirdest looking kids he'd ever met.

She was a short girl, maybe ten or eleven years old. She had longish hair that was the most ridiculous shade of red he'd ever seen, nut-brown skin, and golden eyes that glinted eerily. On her face were weird markings done in smeared blue face paint- two dots under her left eye, a check-like mark under her right eye, and a blue stripe that went from the top of her bottom lip to under her chin.

Her clothes only upped the weirdness- she wore a brown headband with a blue eyeball-shaped ornament on it tied around her head (though it did nothing to keep her bangs out of her face), a camo-green tank top that showed her belly, weird camo-green leggings where the left leg stopped in the middle of her thigh and the the right one came down to her ankle, but was open on the inside of her legs with crisscrossing straps while the outside was fringed. Over the green clothes she wore a tan-colored short-sleeved shoulder-exposing poncho that covered only her upper torso, which was covered in painted symbols, and a short tan skirt. On her feet were light brown moccasins, on her left leg was some kind of straw decoration, and on her arms were fingerless gloves that reached her elbows. She also wore a gold choker and gold hoop earrings.

She also had a black eye, which showed she'd been having a rough time of it too. However, she didn't appear bothered in the slightest that she was injured and stuck in a cage. If anything, she looked bored.

"This blows. The first new faces I see in awhile and they can't even hold a decent conversation. The lackeys even took me out of that stupid tent for this!" She made a pouty face. "Even Blood Eyes started talking to me when he got bored enough- especially when _I_ didn't want him to. Aren't you guys bored too?"

"Bored?!" Usopp snapped. "I've been captured by bounty hunters, tied to a pole, and I have no idea where one of my friends is! How can I _possibly_ be_ bored_?!"

"Oh great, another whiner. I thought Mohawk New Woman was bad enough."

"I'M NOT WHINING! And you were just whining ten seconds ago about being bored!"

"I was not _whining,_ I was _complaining_," the girl huffed. She crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm twelve. What's your excuse?"

"Um, Usopp-san?" Brook interjected before the argument could continue. "Don't you think there are more valuable uses of our time than fighting with a young girl? She did just offer to tell us information, which we are in dire need of."

"She's just a kid! What could she know?" Usopp snapped, annoyed.

"I know more than you, Fish Lips," she retorted. "You've been on this island for a matter of days. I've lived here for more than three years."

"... Fish Lips?"

"I was going to call you Long Nose, but I have a feeling it's been done." She shrugged. "Wouldn't want to make your obvious inferiority complex any worse, after all."

"INFERIORITY-?!"

"HEY!" one of the bounty hunters hollered over at them. "PIPE DOWN OR ELSE!"

The little girl blew a raspberry at the hunter, making him red faced. Luckily, instead of punishing her, he simply shot her an offensive gesture and went back to whatever he had been doing.

"Show a little respect for me, brat," Usopp hissed quietly. "You are before the Great Captain Usopp. I command a pirate fleet of eight million men, and have defeated fishmen and warlords single-handedly! And I do _not_ have an inferiority complex!"

Brook sweatdropped. He didn't remember Usopp ever being this bad.

"Inflating one's ego and making themselves appear to be more than they are is a sure sign of an inferiority complex," the girl said with a fake smile. Shen then frowned and sat down cross-legged "FYI, the key to telling a good lie is to keep it as close to the truth as possible. I know captains, and you're no captain."

"_Hey_! I tell great-!" Usopp began to argue.

"DIDN'T I SAY TO PIPE THE HELL DOWN?!" the same hunter from earlier screamed.

"GO MATE WITH A SEA KING!" Siobhan screamed back. She turned back to the pirates. "Look, as much fun as trading insults with you is, it isn't exactly productive. Could we please move on? How about we start by introducing ourselves? It's better to argue as familiars than strangers you know."

Usopp scowled. "You're the one who started it, you little-!"

"Excuse him, he's just had a long day," Brook apologized, thankfully interrupting. "My name is 'Dead Bones' Brook, and my friend here is Usopp-san. What's your name?"

The girl smirked, and all of a sudden Brook and Usopp got the very, very strong feeling that this was no ordinary little girl. That smirk was the same one Zoro made when he wanted to convey that the one receiving the smirk had better consider long and hard about what he was getting himself into.

"Now we're getting somewhere," she said coolly. "I've had few monikers myself- Calypso, Guardian, the Shaman. Nothing fancy like Dead Bones, though. But primarily, my name is Piranha Siobhan of the Saṅkalpa. A pleasure to meet you, Bones and Fish Lips."

_Piranha Siobhan_

_Guardian and Ward of Kāla _

Her evil smirk melted away into a wide, excited grin not unlike the ones they often saw their captain give.

"So, you guys are part of a pirate crew, right?" she asked. "Before I tell you what_ I_ know, do you mind telling me a little about that first?"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Bounty Hunter Camp, Main Tent<strong>

"Now, please understand that the last thing I want to do is lose my temper," Carrion said cordially, despite the vein throbbing on his forehead. "But allow me to be the first to say that THIS IS COMPLETELY_ UNACCEPTABLE_!"

Vaughan, Erity, Runo, and Yari all sweatdropped, thinking at the same time, _Why say that if you're just going to contradict yourself?_

Then again, they had been expecting this as soon as they had entered the camp. They were surprised the boss had waited this long to call them to his tent and yell at them. Here they were now, standing before their boss as he sat in an armchair and fumed. Saffron stood by his side and remained complete straight faced, but that was hardly unusual.

"I ask you to locate the Star; you give me nothing. I give you the simpler task of capturing the rest of Straw Hat Pirates; you give me a no-name sniper and the Humming Swordsman," Carrion ranted.

"Actually, we think the no-name is really Sniper-" Yari began.

"I don't care! The point I'm trying to make is that the effort you've been showing thus far has been completely atrocious! Honestly, how long does it take to capture one group of pirate filth?!"

Vaughan opened his mouth.

"And Vaughan, before you say _anything_, that was a rhetorical question!"

Vaughan closed his mouth.

"In our defense boss, it's not just _one_ group of pirate filth," Erity reasoned. "We have reported to you about the 'others' that have shown up as Siobhan predicted-"

"You think that makes a difference?" Carrion scoffed. "Just focus your energy on nabbing the Straw Hats we _don't_ have and eliminate the rest. Past or future, I doubt the World Government will care."

"He has a point..." Runo muttered.

Yari shushed him.

Carrion heaved a tired sigh and began rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Luckily, we can still make this work in our favor. If the reports on Straw Hat are anything to go by, he's fiercely possessive of his crew. It's only a matter of time before he stages a rescue, and we'll be ready."

"The kid _did_ declare war on the World Government to get_ one_ crewmate back," Vaughan recalled, almost admiringly. "We got _six_ of them with us."

"But that was the future Straw Hat," Yari said. "At least, the Straw Hat from farther into the future than the one Vaughan defeated. There is no telling what this younger one will do, since he obviously knows how weak he is compared to us."

"An idiot's an idiot, no matter how much time passes," Erity snorted. "He'll come."

"And what of the future Straw Hat?" Carrion asked.

"Not counting that royal sand rat, the Straw Hat from our time is the only pirate on the island still unaccounted for," Yari answered. "Speaking of which, what should we do about Vivi? Her appearance here proves all those rumors from two years ago."

"I honestly don't care about her. We wouldn't have proof and it'd be pointless to blow the whistle on her at this point. With Cobra being ill, Alabasta needs a representative at the Reverie. We can use her past self as a hostage if need be, but let's keep her future self out of all this. It's not worth the trouble or the political headache."

This was code for _swallow your vendetta against Alabasta and focus on the matter at hand_, so Yari scowled and crossed her arms.

"Actually boss, Yari's statement about our time's Straw Hat being the only one unaccounted for isn't true," Runo broke in. "We still haven't got any leads on Nico Robin's whereabouts. At least, not since we came across those guys with their spines twisted into pretzels."

"Those men have received medical attention, but only 30% of them will regain the ability to walk," Saffron stated.

"No one cares about those weaklings!" Runo snapped at her.

Carrion frowned. "Nico Robin, eh? That will be an issue... _argh,_ why have you let her roam around for this long?"

Runo stuck a finger in his face. "I don't see why you're chewing us out for being useless when you've done nothing but sit on your butt here at camp! As Vaughan would say, pot and kettle, boss!"

"All teams have a piece of my Vivre Card in order to find the camp again- I _have_ to stay here," Carrion told him calmly. "I've also been coordinating the teams still searching from here. The few that are left anyway- in case you haven't heard, we lost contact with Alpha Unit and it's safe to assume they've been completely wiped out."

The lieutenants' eyes all widened.

"But t-that is impossible!" Yari exclaimed. "Alpha Unit is made up entirely of our best men! All of the members in it are next in line to become lieutenants!"

"We sail the New World, a place where it once_ literally_ rained cats and dogs on us," Erity deadpanned. "And you recently got your butt handed to you by a talking skeleton. No one in this tent is in any position to decide what is or isn't possible."

"I did _not_ get my butt handed to me!" Yari denied. "He caught me off-guard!"

"I remember the cat and dog thing," Runo spoke up, ignoring his sister. He suddenly looked depressed. "That was a sad day..."

While this lull in the conversation occurred, Vaughan took the chance to thoroughly think about this new information.

_Alpha Unit's members are no pushovers... I doubt anything as simple as a Lake Lord or wild beast got them. And I don't think the groups from the jungle and the cavern or Nico Robin got to them, so that leaves... _His eyes widened again, then he smirked. _Heh. Looks like_ he's_ been keeping busy with giving Carrion a headache. I approve._

"Boss, if I may make a suggestion, I believe now is a good time to make use of Miss Siobhan," Saffron broke in. "She is currently our best chance at locating the Star, and we can't afford to lose any more men."

Vaughan shot Saffron a sharp glance.

"Ugh, can we_ please_ just do that!" Erity moaned. "This whole 'running around the jungle blindly' thing is getting old!"

There was much nodding in agreement from Yari and Runo.

Carrion exhaled loudly from his nose, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. As he lit it he replied, "I was hoping to avoid this. There's no guarantee she won't lead us astray..."

Not to mention he would have other needs of her later down the line... Carrion closed his eyes, thinking his options over. This lasted about two minutes.

"Sir?" Saffron inquired.

Carrion opened his eyes. "Very well. Saffron, contact the remaining squads and tell them to converge on the camp. As for the four of you, get some rest. As soon as the sun rises again, we will take Siobhan as one whole group and make her take us to the Star."

"Yes, sir!" his five subordinates said together.

"In that case," Erity went on, stretching her arms. "I'll get dinner going. Shouldn't take too long."

"I'm gonna go play with my toys!" Runo declared cheerfully. "I want to try out my new robot!"

Yari looked herself over. She was still wearing the rags remaining from her fight. "I will... go get changed. Oh, and Runo, do you mind sending my dolly my way? I will want to play with her when I am done."

"But I wanted to play with her," Runo pouted.

"Pervert," Erity told him.

"That's not what I-"

"Oh, for the love of the Blues, would you three_ leave_?!" Vaughan said harshly, shoving his comrades out of the tent. Once they were gone, he sighed and rubbed his temple. He turned to his boss. "Remind me again why we hired them?"

"_You_ suggested we hire elites when _we_ first met, they came highly recommended, and they are convenient in managing our lesser hunters," Carrion replied. He gave Vaughan a slightly concerned look. "Are you alright? It's not like you to lose your composure like that."

"Blame Straw Hat," Vaughan said, crossing his arms. "That little punk could wear down the Buddha's patience, and he didn't do mine any favors. I haven't met anyone this aggravating since-" He stopped, frowned, then shook his head. "Anyway, if that's all, I guess I'll head back to my tent."

"Go on ahead."

Vaughan nodded then moved to exit the tent.

"Oh, and Vaughan?" Carrion spoke up.

Vaughan halted and looked over his shoulder.

Carrion gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't let those three get to you. Remember, there's a reason you're my second-in-command and not one of them."

"I thought that was due to seniority. You know, me being the first guy to join up and all."

"If it were up to seniority, _Saffron_ would be my second."

"Then what's your reason?"

"You are my second because you annoy me the least and are far more intelligent then _those_ three. However, if we're still on the topic of seniority, it's the reason you are my most _trusted_ subordinate."

Vaughan raised a skeptic eyebrow. "Next to Saffron, you mean."

Saffron shrugged.

Carrion chuckled. "Duruhuhu, that's goes without saying- she's my personal assistant. Now, away with you. I hate to miss one of Erity's meals, but I want to get some sleep before the hunt in the morning... whenever that will be. Oh, and when the sun finally finishes setting, return Siobhan to the storage tent. Can't have her think we're going soft."

Vaughan smiled, then exited the tent. But as soon as tent flap closed behind him, obscuring him from his boss's sight, the red-eyed man let his smile become a suspicious frown.

Little did Vaughan know, Carrion did the exact same thing.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Jungle's Northern Sector, steadily approaching the encampment<strong>

"How much _longer_?" Luffy whined. "We've been walking _forever!_"

That wasn't totally true- while the group had been walking for awhile now, it was hardly a long enough period of time to be referred to as 'forever.' As ordered, Robin and Nami were leading the crew towards the bounty hunters' camp, which Robin claimed was situated in a more mountainous area on the island. This resulted in a little more rock climbing on their chosen path, which was partially the reason the journey was taking so long. Luffy hung in the back with a new walking stick, more than happy to moan about his boredom.

"It's still a little ways away, Captain," Robin informed him. "But we should arrive by dark if we keep out current pace."

"I don't know about that," Nami observed, squinting her eyes at the reddening sky. "The sun has been 'setting' for a long time. I don't think its moved since the last time I looked at it."

"All the more reason to keep moving like this. We have no idea when the sun will decide to set on us," Roronoa commented.

"Actually, could we maybe take a little break?" Chopper spoke up. "Luffy's still badly injured, and me and Tony don't want his injuries to aggravate too much. He might start bleeding again."

"Yeah! That Vaughan guy sounded terrible, but I rather we didn't waste the blood he gave Luffy back," Tony added, recalling what he'd been told by his younger self.

It was really hard to say no to those cute reindeer faces, so the group took the desired break on top of a large flat rock. Luffy even agreed to stopping provided he got to eat some jerky Sanji had packed.

"Hey, guys? I've been thinking about something," Lysopp spoke up after a few minutes. "You know that message on the statue?"

"Yes, Lysopp. We were all there," Sanji responded, holding a cigarette out in front of himself. He didn't have many left. "What about it?"

"Well, Robin said it was less than 5 years old while the other engravings were hundreds of years old, right?" Lysopp went on. "So it begs the question- how did it get there?"

"I believe it's safe to assume Siobhan put it there, don't you think?" Vivi said, refilling the jug around Carue's neck. "Perhaps she hasn't always lived here and put the message there when she first arrived, or she did live here all along and put the message there when the Star was hidden here."

"I guess, but if the message is about 5 years old and Siobhan is twelve, then does that mean she's lived here all by herself since she was seven or eight?" Lysopp crossed his arms. "I mean, the legend did say she was the last of her race... wait, that's another thing I don't get. If the Saṅkalpa are from that Calypso Island, what are their ruins and writings doing on _this_ island?"

"I theorize that the Saṅkalpa originated from Kāla," Robin explained. "Taking into account Barun's interest in both the tribe and the island, it makes sense. And when the island appeared in the West Blue some millennia ago, the Saṅkalpa decided to move."

"Can't say I blame them," Sanji grunted. "I bet traveling through time and space constantly would get crappy after awhile."

"But if they lived on Calypso for thousands of years, then why are the ruins only several hundred years old?" Lysopp questioned. "And why is Siobhan still just a child and not an old lady or dead? Is it because the island moves in and out of time?" He groaned. "Gah, this is so confusing!"

Nami and Vivi sweatdropped. _Maybe_ _you're thinking too much into this?_

"Siobhan did tell Roronoa time does whatever it wants here," Tony piped up. "The legend said so too."

"And if Time is anything like Luffy, there's no point in questioning it," Roronoa finished.

Luffy looked up from his jerky eating briefly, shrugged, and then went back to stuffing his face.

Chopper, who had taken the break as a chance to go through his medical supplies, looked up. "I hate the idea of a little girl being trapped in the camp with those bounty hunters. Are you sure we can't save her too when we go to save Brook, Usopp, Zoro, and the rest?"

"She said she was waiting for something when I was there. If she doesn't want to be freed, there's very little we can do," Robin sighed. "I find it a bit foolish, honestly."

Roronoa snorted. "You're the last person to criticize someone for stubbornly not wanting to be saved, Robin."

Vivi raised an eyebrow when she heard this. What did Mr. Roronoa mean by that?

Robin frowned. "This situation is completely different. Siobhan is clearly waiting for some kind of opportunity. I just wish I knew why. I usually like a good enigma, but this is irritating. I just hope her stubbornness doesn't result in her getting into a hypnotized puppet or a paralyzed doll."

"Robin!" Lysopp scolded. "Don't be so morbid! Especially where a child is concerned!"

"If we're dealing with Dancing Haze Runo and Last Nerve Yari, that's a logical outcome for her."

Sanji gave Robin a weird look. "Runo's epithet is 'Dancing Haze'? That's so lame!"

"What doofus in the World Government came up with something that stupid?" Nami asked. "He should get slapped for it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in another time and place...<strong>

"_Aaa-choo_!" Spandam sneezed, causing him to spill hot coffee all over himself. "YEEEE-OOOOUUCH! Stupid coffee! Whoever is talking about me will pay for this!"

* * *

><p><strong>Back with the crew...<strong>

"Hey, Vivi!" Luffy shouted all of a sudden. "You said that those Haze Dancer and Nerve Girl people were from your home country, right? Did you know them? Are they really strong? Not that I want to fight them, I'm just curious since Zoro-ossan, Usopp-ossan, Chopper-ossan, and Robin have to fight them."

For once, Luffy wasn't lying. And the crew knew, because Luffy was infamously terrible liar.

"I never knew them personally, but they are strong. They were the best bounty hunters in my home country," Vivi answered.

"Yari was able to hold her own against me in our duel," Roronoa added. "Not to mention if what Vivi's told us is true, Runo was able to take down Franky and hypnotize him."

"I'd heard rumors back in Alabasta that besides their fighting skills, they had practically inhuman strength." Vivi shivered. "I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. Yari was inhuman enough back on the Merry. It's a mystery why Crocodile never recruited them into Baroque Works- they could have easily taken the Mr. 1 pair spot." She paused and explained quickly, "The Mr. 1 spot is directly below the boss's level."

The past Straw Hats made sounds of understanding. That made sense.

"Well, that wasn't from a lack of trying," Robin said off-handedly.

"What do you mean, Robin?" Luffy asked.

Robin crossed her arms. "Crocodile _did_ invite Yari and Runo to join Baroque Works. He even offered them the positions Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger currently hold in your time."

The Straw Hats all snapped their attention to Robin, shouting, "_EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_?!"

"W-W-What?!" Lysopp stuttered. "But that's just not possible!"

"Yeah, we never saw those two freaks in Alabasta! Did we?!" Tony added frantically.

"Calm down, you didn't see them," the archaeologist assured them. "The Baba siblings never accepted Crocodile's invitation. He was absolutely livid about it when we got the refusal; he ranted about their arrogance for a solid hour, which for him was impressive."

"Why would turning him down make them arrogant?" Chopper asked.

"Because they refused by mailing us a picture of the agent we sent to deliver the invitation, decapitated, along with a note telling us where we could shove our offer."

Chopper shrieked in fright.

"Yeesh, I've heard of shooting the messenger, but that's overkill," Sanji commented.

"If there's one thing the Babas excel at, it's overkill," Vivi sighed. "That's why they got banished in the first place."

"They have guts, at least," Roronoa said with grudging respect. "It's one thing to anger Luffy, but to risk pissing off a warlord, even a sleaze like Crocodile, takes balls."

"You mean like you did when you killed Mr. 7, Roronoa? Your rejection happened not long after the Babas'," Robin pointed out.

"You were invited to join Baroque Works, Zoro-ossan?" Luffy asked.

"I remember you saying something like that back on Whiskey Peak," Vivi remembered.

"When did that happen?" Nami inquired.

"Awhile before I met Luffy," Roronoa replied. He gave Robin a puzzled look. "But how did _you_ know-?"

She smiled. "Who do you think authorized the invitation in the first place?"

_Figures,_ Vivi thought. _Ms. All-Sunday did have an eye for 'talent'... she helped recruit at least half the officer agents..._

Roronoa's eye widened slightly. "Really? I... I don't know how to feel about that."

Robin simply giggled.

"Wait a second!" Lysopp hollered. He turned to Robin. "Robin, when you were part of Baroque Works, did they do background checks and information probes on potential members?"

Robin nodded. "It was all part of organization procedure. That's how I knew Ms. Wednesday's true identity, though I did end up keeping it secret."

Vivi scowled.

"Then we don't need to go in blind!" Lysopp continued. "If Yari, Runo, Vaughan and Erity have been bounty hunting for a long time, then odds are Baroque Works considered them for membership at one point or another. Robin can tell us everything she knows about their abilities so we can add it to what we _already_ know, then we have an advantage when we fight them!"

"If Robin knew anything, don't you think she would have already told us?" Nami told him.

Before Lysopp could wilt over dejectedly, he heard a nervous chuckle coming from over in the older woman's direction. Once again, the group all turned to look at Robin.

"Robin?" Luffy said. "Do you know something after all?"

"Actually... I do," Robin admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "It didn't even occur to me to think back on information I gained from Baroque Works... I usually try not to think back on that time. Normally I wouldn't have even brought up all that I've said about the Baba siblings or Roronoa. I guess I've been a bit distracted lately."

"That's not like you, Robin," Tony said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. No need to concern yourself."

"In that case, let's get moving again!" Luffy announced, standing up from where he sat. "Usopp, Zoro, and the others are still waiting. Robin can tell us on the way to the hunters' camp!"

"YOSH!" the crew replied.

The Straw Hats quickly packed up anything they had set out during their break and began their trek once again. This time, Luffy took the lead and didn't even bring along his walking stick.

_"Don't look at me like that. It's your own fault for trying to take on an enemy you weren't ready to fight."_

_"Figures as much. Keep this up and you'll only lose your crew."_

_I may not be strong enough to take you on yet, Vampire Guy, _ Luffy thought. _But I can at least make sure my crew knows what they're getting into. And next time we meet... maybe I'll get my rematch. Even if it's just 'me' as my future self fighting you. I won't lose my crew_. _We'll be ready._

"Robin, since we're already talking about them, start with the Baba Twins, okay?" Luffy called back to her. "Tell us about the girl who attacked the Merry first."

Robin nodded. "Baba Yari. As you all already know, she possesses the power of the Nerve Nerve Fruit, which allows her to manipulate physical sensation as she sees fit. She is also a powerful swordsman. She wields a sword she calls the _Shinkei Kattā. _It's not one of the legendary named blades like Mr. Swordsman and Roronoa carry, but it's said to be just as strong. In terms of her skill... well, the fact she held her own against Roronoa and Brook says a lot, but I once heard from an associate she recently fought a swordsman named Haruta from the Whitebeard Pirates to a draw."

"The Whitebeard Pirates?!" Sanji shouted. "Does she have a death wish?!"

"I was right, she _does_ have balls," Roronoa muttered.

"On top of sword ability, you told me she possesses Kenbunshoku Haki, which allows her to predict attacks," Robin went on. "But her control doesn't seem that good if it slipped when she got angry enough. You can work with that. She's arrogant and and thinks highly of her strength, so we need to use that against her if we can." She frowned and looked at Vivi and the other Past Straw Hats. "I'm going to be blunt- the only reason Zoro and Usopp did somewhat well against her is because she underestimated them. I doubt she's stupid enough to make the same mistake twice."

The Past Straw Hats nodded, the members of the Weakling Trio also gulping at the same time.

"As for her brother... I'm afraid my knowledge about him is much more limited. We know he has Kenbunshoku haki, thanks to Lysopp, but it's almost as if they went out of their to make sure his skills were off the record. I was quite shocked when you told me about his hypnotist abilities. In the Baroque Works report, it said he had the Haze Haze Fruit, not the Hypno Hypno Fruit."

"Maybe it was a typo?" Chopper offered.

Robin shook her head. "I doubt it. I'm willing to bet that Yari and Runo spread rumors about him having the Haze Haze Fruit in an effort to keep his real abilities a secret. Did you know that the World Government has a blacklist for devil fruits?"

"A blacklist?" Nami echoed. "You mean like when a person is blacklisted from a job, and then they can't get the job?"

"Yes, but in this case, it's a list of devil fruits people are not allowed to have access to. The list itself is very short, with only four or five fruits on it. And if a person does possess that fruit, the government is supposed to capture the user and execute them immediately," Robin explained. "Devil fruits on the list are deemed too dangerous or too risky to have in active circulation. Can you guess which devil fruit is on the list?"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Bounty Hunter Camp, Yari's tent<strong>

"Ah, the Hypno Hypno Fruit," Yari sighed, running a brush through her 'dolly's' hair. "It is a thing of beauty, really. We were so lucky to find it when we did."

Yari had changed her clothes. She now wore a puffy-sleeved dark pink blouse, a black leather corset, black short-shorts, thigh-high diamond-patterned stockings, black combat boots, and her Alabastan jewelry. Pinned in her hair was a large black rose with a little skull at its center.

"Of course, once we discovered what it was, we could not let anyone know Runo had it," she went on, perusing a box of hairpins. "The Hypno Hypno Fruit is on the government's blacklist. If they knew he had its powers, they would hunt him down and kill him." She snorted. "Politicians are so paranoid. They fear of being hypnotized by a user, forcing them to be his puppets while he controls everything behind the scenes with hypnotic suggestions. Could you imagine what kind of damage Runo could do to the world if he were able to hypnotize kings, navy admirals, and government officials? Luckily for them, Runo is not nearly that ambitious. Still, it is vital we keep it a secret. No one outside of the lieutenants and Carrion knows he has it."

"And yet, you have no problem blabbing about it to me."

Yari smirked at her 'guest.' "You are a pirate. Who would you tell? More importantly, who would believe you if you _did _tell, Zoro?"

Zoro snarled ferally. His arms were tied behind a post in the large tent, and his waist was tied to it for good measure. All he could do was sit crosslegged in this position. For a 'guest', he didn't feel the hospitality. His swords were sitting on the other side of the tent, mocking him, and his injuries from Future Sanji were left untreated. Not that he could feel them at the moment.

"What is with that scary face?" Yari said with a pin in her teeth as she twisted her 'dolly's' hair into a braid-bun combo. "It is not like you can do anything to me. I paralyzed every part of your body except your face, remember? That is why you are still able to mouth off to me."

Zoro debated replying to that, then settled on just snarling deeper.

Yari shrugged and finished with her 'dolly's' hair. "Where was I... ah yes, the Hypno Hypno Fruit. It was convenient for Runo. Now he can have as many toys as he wants. Personally, I prefer to use my own powers to create my dolls, but I have to admit, his fruit makes good dolls as well." She hugged the girl in front of her from behind and pressed her face to the other's cheek. "So stoic, but with the added feature of mobility. It makes for easy traveling."

If Zoro weren't tied up and paralyzed at the moment, he would have jumped up and strangled the short woman. "Get your hands off her!"

'Her' being the 'dolly.' It was a young woman in her twenties, with pale skin and large brown eyes- eyes that held all the blankness of an entranced person. She wore a dark green and black Lolita dress with a short skirt, long flared sleeves, and exposed her shoulders, as well as a choker with a bow and knee-high boots. Her vibrant orange hair was now braided and twisted into a bun, the pin holding it in place resembling a lily of some kind. The revealed shoulder facing Zoro held a blue tattoo, and despite it being half-covered by the dress, he was able to make out the pinwheel and the tangerine.

It was undoubtedly Future Nami, and while Zoro heavily distrusted the crew from the future (and didn't like Nami all that much), seeing her getting pawed at by a sadistic witch made him want to vomit.

"Since you asked _so_ nicely..." Yari said sarcastically.

Yari stepped away from Future Nami... only to walk over to Zoro and sit herself down in his lap.

"There. Is this to your liking?" she asked.

"No," Zoro answered through grit teeth.

"Too bad," she chirped. She leaned back against Zoro's chest. "You know, you should be more grateful to me. If I had not paralyzed you, your weakling body would be feeling all those burns Black Leg gave it. If you keep acting so uncouth, I may have to rescind my generosity."

To prove her point, her hand traveled up Zoro's arm, and lightly she tapped one of his burns. The burn glowed pink briefly as a fresh burning sensation and the force of the original kick coursed through the limb. Zoro bit back a hiss of pain. It was a good thing the rest of his body was numb, or the pain would be much worse.

Yari humphed in disappointment. "You are definitely Pirate Hunter's younger self. You have no idea how to make a lady happy."

"So you are a sadist," Zoro grunted.

Yari ignored this and went on talking. "I hope your older self shows up soon. He was_ far_ more interesting than you are. I have never seen someone with sword ability and pain tolerance like his before. It makes me wonder what he has been up to these last two years..."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. The last two years? What did that have to do with anything?

Wait. Was this his chance to get some answers? If Yari just kept yakking away and he didn't ask anything, it wouldn't be going against Luffy's gag order. All the little sadist had to do was keep on talking...

"Yo, sis!" Runo declared, strolling into the tent with a hand covering his eyes. "You doing anything I wouldn't do?!"

Zoro was now sure the universe was taunting him.

Yari jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. "Runo, of course not! Why is it whenever I bring people into my tent, you think I am doing something indecent?!"

Runo removed his hand and gave his sister a knowing look. "Ever since that time on Visigoth Island-"

"WE AGREED THAT NEVER HAPPENED!"

"No, you _said_ it never happened. I just went along with it so I wouldn't have to keep listening to you squawk like a harpy."

The captured swordsman rolled his eyes.

Runo finally took notice of Future Nami, then gasped. "Yari! Why isn't Cat Burglar in the outfit I picked out?! That was our agreement for letting you play with her!"

Yari crossed her arms and looked away with her nose in the air. "There is no way I am making her wear that monstrosity you showed me. My dollies will look elegant, damn it!"

"Monstrosity?" Runo, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a frilly pink dress and a pair of pink pumps. "I thought this looked rather nice."

"It is hideous! Where did you even find it?!"

"On the Straw Hats' ship. The lion one."

"Then the females on the crew have no taste whatsoever!"

"... I found these in Black Leg's locker in the boys' cabin."

"... I am not even going to comment on that."

Zoro grimaced, now a bit disturbed. It was like he didn't even _know_ the cook anymore. At least not in the next two years.

"Ah, whatever!" Runo announced, tossing the frilly outfit aside. He walked up to Future Nami and hugged her affectionately. "She still looks great, Yari! You know how to make my toys look pretty!"

"Get off of her _right now_ or so help me-!" Zoro roared.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a knot, Pirate Hunter," Runo interrupted, taking on a smooth tone. It was the same one he used back in the cavern to lord his ambush over their heads. "I won't do anything indecent to Cat Burglar while she's under my thrall. I may be a bounty hunter with psychopathic tendencies, but even I have standards."

Zoro growled. "Then you and your freaky sister stop touching her. You're both so clingy; what, did your parents not _hold_ you two enough when you were brats?"

Of all the responses Zoro was expecting, the twins falling to their knees in depression was not one of them.

"How did he _know_ that?" they twins said miserably.

_Idiots_, Zoro thought.

The sudden gloom didn't last and soon enough the twins were standing proudly.

"Yari, why don't you take your dolly and go join up with my other toys," Runo said coolly. He gestured to Zoro. "I want to chat privately with Grass Stain over here."

Yari frowned, but took Future Nami by the hand and led her out of the tent. Once the women were gone, Runo turned to Zoro and smiled at him innocently.

"Now, what to do with you?" Runo asked himself. "Boss Carrion obviously wants to turn you in for your future self's bounty, but I think we're a little ways off from the nearest marine base. It seems like a waste to just leave you tied up to a post in my sister's tent. Must be quite the experience for you though. Yari's a bit kinky."

"This isn't the first time I've been tied to a post by an enemy and had an idiot talk nonsense in front of me." Zoro smirked. "Only difference here is that I doubt I'll be joining your crew by the end of this."

"Oh. You get really get around then." Runo smirked as well. "Still, that still leaves the question of what to do with you. I suppose I'll just have to interrogate you. I got practically nothing from my robot, Yari's dolly, the Chef, and Fluffy McFluffmeister. You could be useful."

"Then what? You'll use those forbidden powers of yours to make me into one of your _toys_?" Zoro asked bitterly, the smirk vanishing.

Runo made a sour face. "Yari cannot keep a secret to save her life. _My_ life on the other hand..." He stuck thumbs into his belt, looking wistful. "Did you know I actually had a panic attack when I heard my devil fruit was blacklisted? I had just gotten banished from Alabasta, life sucked... it was really the last thing I needed then and there. I looked like such a_ weakling_... it was shameful."

Runo's expression became one of utter disgust, as if the idea of weakness thoroughly sickened him. It was something Zoro noticed about him and his sister. They seemed to have a fixation with strength, and being weak was not an option. Zoro didn't like weakness either, but the twins took it to a whole other level. They didn't tolerate it in themselves or in others.

Runo perked up. "I'm better now obviously, and my Hypno Hypno abilities are a real godsend. You have seen my robot, right? I love the the robot. I miss my reindeer though."

At this point, Zoro had decided to no longer grace Runo's ramblings with responses. He'd heard a saying once that said if you got into an argument with a fool, no one would be able to tell the difference. Except in this case the person he was arguing with was just _acting_ like a fool. The cold, mocking man from the cavern with a strength obsession was no fool.

"At any rate, I think I've decided what I'm going to do with you." Runo reached into one of Yari's trunks and removed a giant first aid kit that would have made Chopper salivate. "First, we get you patched up! Unlike my sister, I don't believe in causing unnecessary physical agony. But after that..."

Runo was in front of Zoro in the time it took the latter to blink, gripping him by the hair and forcing the swordsman to look him in his visible eye. The eye in question was no longer green, but a swirling pattern of colors.

Runo chuckled. "... We'll have_ playtime_."

* * *

><p><strong>Back with the Straw Hats...<strong>

"This Runo guy must be dangerous if even the World Government doesn't want his fruit in circulation," Nami said. "But considering everything he's done with hypnotism so far..."

She didn't have to finish. Everyone remembered.

"The weirdo from Usopp's village kept putting me to sleep back then, and the rice cracker girl nearly made me fail in getting you guys out of that wax trap," Luffy noted, watching as Sanji kicked a large rock out of the group's path. "... I don't like hypnotists."

"We have to accept the fact that despite Roronoa and Robin's plan, there's a chance you past pirates will get dragged into the crossfire," Lysopp said. "If that becomes the case, we definitely need to make sure Luffy stays away from Runo. Past or future, he's not exactly an easy opponent."

"We also need to keep in mind Runo may have used his hypnotism to get information about us from our captured crewmates," Robin added. "Runo will use that against us, making him a worse opponent."

"Don't worry, Lysopp, I will. As for Runo, we'll show him that knowing our moves isn't the same as facing our moves," Luffy said confidently. He turned to Robin. "Okay, who's next after the twins?"

"If we're going in order from weakest to strongest, then next is Erity, the hunters' second lieutenant," Robin replied. "At least, that's what the lackey's I interrogated told me she was."

Nami shuddered, remembering the mohawked woman. "I can tell you about her, Luffy. She was a _monster_- her kicks cut through trees, she could walk on air, she moved so fast it looked like she was teleporting, and I broke my staff on her head and she didn't even blink!" She turned to Lysopp. "Did I forget anything?"

"The part where she stabbed her fingers into me," Lysopp said, rubbing the afflicted arm.

"Yeah, that!" Nami said, snapping her fingers. "What was all that?! Did she eat some kind of devil fruit?"

"If only it were that simple," Roronoa sighed. "She was using a fighting style called Rokushiki. It allows a user to reach the peak of their physical capability and become a superhuman."

"The style itself is most commonly used by a government black-ops known as Cipher Pol Number 9, or CP9 for short," Robin added. "We've faced them before. It's a future event, so sorry, Captain."

Luffy waved it off. "It's fine. Until we get our nakama back, you can tell me anything about the future as long as it helps."

This was a strong indicator that Luffy was getting serious- he was even relaxing his own gag order. The crew, as they listened, weren't sure if this was a good thing or not. Hopefully, it was.

"She claimed she knew 'that pigeon freak,' and mentioned Kaku," Lysopp remembered. "She probably used to be part of the team, or at least trained to be part of it at one time considering we didn't see her back then."

"Hold on," Vivi broke in. "I've heard of Cipher Pol, but there are only eight units."

"CP9 doesn't officially exist," Robin explained. "It gives the government more elbow room to have their dirty work done that way."

"I'm not surprised Erity is so strong," Tony said anxiously. "CP9 was tough. I was only able to defeat one of its members after going Monster Point."

Chopper whimpered at the thought of his vicious transformation. Did this mean he would have to go Monster Point if the need came?

"Wait a minute- Nami, did you say Erity could walk on air?" Vivi suddenly said.

"Yeah. I thought I had been seeing things intially," Nami answered. "Why?"

"Because Future Sanji did that back in the cavern! He set his leg on fire then jumped into the air and stayed there!"

Nami gaped. "_EH_?!"

"I learn to fly in the future?!" Sanji exclaimed in shock. "And I learn how to do the flaming-leg technique?!"

Roronoa gave Sanji a curious look. "You've already thought of Diable Jambe?"

"Is that what I end up calling it? Catchy." Sanji put in his hands in his pockets. "Jealous, Mosshead? Yeah, it was a nutty idea I had not long after Little Garden, after I heard how you guys got out of Mr. 3's wax trap. But I never took it seriously. I actually get it to work, Vivi-chan?!"

Vivi frowned, recalling the heartless attack on Mr. Bushido. "Yes... you most definitely get it to work."

"That sounds awesome, Sanji!" Chopper shouted. "I want to learn how to fly!"

"Once I get my Sanji back, I'll ask him to teach me!" Tony told his younger self.

Sanji grinned widely in excitement. "Aw man, I can't wait to learn all that and rub it in the crappy geezer's face! Hey, think I could charm the lovely Erity into teaching me that air-walking technique?"

"Sanji! Erity almost killed us!" Nami scolded him.

"I know, Nami-swan- and I'm positive you'll get your entirely justified retribution- but come on, so did Robin-chan!" He gestured to her. "And look at her now!"

Robin smiled, but it was tight. "I find it fair to point out I never actively tried to kill any of you."

"That's what makes you a good person, Robin!" Luffy told her. "Right?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Of course, Captain."

Vivi crossed her arms and looked away, but she didn't scowl this time.

Roronoa moved up next to Sanji. "If you need the enemy in order to get stronger, then you're more pathetic than I thought, Swirls."

"Put a sock in it, Algae Brains! I bet my older self could kick your crappy ass any day of the week!"

"Yet_ my_ younger self could kick _your _ass any time of day!"

Lysopp sighed as another Sanji-Zoro fight began (at least this appeared to be strictly verbal), then turned to Chopper. "How long has it been since their last fight?"

"A couple hours," Chopper answered dutifully.

"That's a new record." Lysopp clapped his hands. "Alright, that's enough! I think we got a bit off-topic! Robin, can you tell us anything else about Erity?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm afraid she's the wild card in the lieutenants," Robin said. "While the others have long careers in hunting, she only came on the scene about a year and a half ago, so there's little to no information about her. Aside from a few _completely_ irrelevant rumors about her private life, I know little about her myself- I didn't even know about her and CP9. She hadn't even made a name for herself when she joined the Carrion Bounty Hunters."

"Seriously?" Lysopp said. "She's what, thirty? That's a wee bit old for a lady to want to start bounty hunting."

Robin narrowed her eyes at him. "_I'm_ thirty."

Lysopp had violent flashbacks of the last time he insinuated Robin was old. He held up his hands in a placating manner. "And you look_ gorgeous_!"

"You got that right~!" Sanji added lovingly before getting serious. "Robin, back when we faced Erity in the woods, and going off of what Lysopp told us about his first encounter with her, it seems like she knows me, or at least my older self. Know anything about that?"

"I can't say. There is _one_ possibility for where she could know you from..." Robin trailed off for a moment. "... however, I doubt your older self would appreciate me spreading that around."

Sanji blinked, puzzled. "Excuse me?"

A charge ran down Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony's spines. Was it possible... that Robin _knew_ what Sanji did for training these last two years? (Of course she did, this was _Robin._) Dang it, they couldn't even ask her because asking in their past selves' presence went against the relaxed gag order parameters!

Robin could tell her fellow future pirates had their thoughts running a mile a minute. Yes, it was best she didn't spread_ that_ around. There was no guarantee Erity would have the same altruistic impulse to preserve Sanji's dignity. They would have to wait and see.

_Erity..._ Robin thought. _What is it you want, I wonder...?_

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Bounty Hunter Camp, mess tent<strong>

"I want you to blink... _now_," Erity commanded. She stomped her foot in frustration. "Blink, damn you!"

The Future Sanji did not blink. He just stood there in the center of the mess tent, useless as a piece of driftwood.

"_Arggh_!" Erity yelled in aggravation. She went back to stirring the pork soup that simmered on the portable stove.

"Stupid Runo," she mumbled. She spoke in her best imitation of him. "'I figure since _he's_ a chef, he could help you!' Well, Runo, he can't exactly help me if he's so entranced that he barely even knows he has a name, let alone that he's a chef!"

Erity wasn't sure if Runo was truly the source of her aggravation (he _was_ at least 90% of the time, so it was a valid query). It couldn't be because of Future... well, _her time's_ Sanji, could it?

"It bugs me," she confessed aloud. "You weren't meant to stand quietly like a emotionless toy, Sanji-lolly. This whole... _hypnotized_ thing creeps me out. More so than usual. You're meant to jump and kick and curse and call me and my sisters denizens of Hell."

To think, the younger Sanji actually referred to her as _lovely_. He had been the first to ever do so. That's irony for you. Sanji-lolly, the future one, had known _what_ she was almost immediately, even if he didn't know _who_ exactly.

Erity replaced the lid on the pot, then strutted over to the hypnotized chef. She reached into his pocket and removed his box of cigarettes, slid one loose, and placed it in her mouth. She then lit it with Sanji-lolly's fancy gold lighter. In reality she wasn't much of smoker, but she felt like she needed it at times. Vaughan was the very same- she wouldn't be surprised if she walked into his tent and found him smoking a few cancer sticks himself.

After taking a few drags, her teal eyes glanced at the young pirate. To think, the last time she'd seen this punk was nearly two years ago. She never would have thought their next meeting would be as hunter and prey, if they were to have a next meeting at all.

She chuckled. The last time she saw him...

_"You're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" she said, grinding the heel of her boot into his head. "This is, like, the fifth time I've had you eating dirt this month, Sanji-lolly. No one would blame you if you gave up."_

_"Shut up, you crappy freak of nature," Sanji snarled. "I'm not giving up."_

_"Why? I don't get you. How can someone fail as much as you have in the time you've been here and still come back for more? Did I knock something loose the last time I kicked you?"_

_"Shut up!" Sanji barked, pushing against her weight. "I said I'm not giving up and that's that!"_

_"But _why_?" she whined. "I really want to know so I don't have to keep bruising your pretty face."_

_"BECAUSE MY CREW IS OUT THERE GETTING STRONGER, AND I REFUSE TO LET A SINGLE ONE OF THEM DOWN BY FAILING!" He paused. "AND I AM_ NOT_ PRETTY!"_

"Pfft." Erity patted Sanji-lolly's shoulder. "You are so, _so_ pretty. In total denial, but_ so_ pretty."

"And here I thought you did not like younger men."

Erity startled, then turned to glare at the entrance to the mess tent. There stood Yari, the corner of her mouth turned upward in ridicule.

The older woman scoffed. "I _don't_. Anyway, what are you doing here? I'm not giving you anything before dinner is ready."

"Relax, I am not here for any handouts." Yari gestured to Sanji. "I am just here to collect Black Leg. Is that allowed?"

Erity exhaled some smoke before dropping the barely-used cigarette and rubbing it into the ground with her shoe. "Go right on ahead. The only thing he's good for right now is a coat rack, which I don't need."

Yari shrugged and walked over to the pirate chef. She frowned, thinking critically. "... They are interesting, are they not?"

"Who?"

"Pirates. The bonds they create and the goals they share. You should have seen how Pirate Hunter reacted to me dressing up Cat Burglar. I thought he was going to blow a blood vessel. Not all the pirates I have faced over the years were so close, but these Straw Hats definitely are."

Erity thought back to Sanji. The guy definitely loved his crew. The Straw Hats were practically a family- not all crews were like that.

"You're not the type to care about friendship and junk, Yari," Erity said, walking over to the pot of soup and going back to stirring it. "Aren't you the kind of person who sees friendship as a weakness?"

"Yes, but a number of pirates I have encountered were quite taken with the concept. They act like the _magic_ of _friendship_ can lead them to the One Piece. It is ridiculous, but I find it interesting." Yari glanced Erity. "Tell me, did you ever fancy the idea of finding the One Piece? I know Runo and I entertained the notion when we were young. I am sure every child does."

"Why would I want to be Pirate King? That's a death wish for myself and anyone I plan to marry someday. We all know what happened to Fire Fist." Erity tasted her soup, narrowed her eyes, then added some spice. "Besides, I was six when that execution happened. I was living on the streets in a rinky-dink town on a rinky-dink island in the middle of the South Blue. I was little busy with trying to survive to think about claiming a treasure that may or may not exist."

"You are on a magic time island currently trying to _find_ a treasure that 'may or may not exist,'" Yari reminded her.

"True, but I'm getting paid for it." Erity chuckled. "So I'll just leave the One Piece to guys like Straw Hat and Sanji-lolly. They have the drive and more of a chance than I ever will."

_Not only that_, she thought._ But I have my own dreams to accomplish once this is over, just as Sanji-lolly does. I hope he gets his chance to fulfill them. _

Yari rolled her eyes, stopped mid-roll, then frowned in realization. "... You were _six_ when Gold Roger was executed?"

"Yeah, give or take a year," Erity replied affirmatively. "Why?"

"Roger was executed twenty-four years ago," Yari said. "No wonder you are not married yet. If you were six at the time, that would make you thir-"

The swordswoman was cut off as an airborne soup ladle smacked her right in the center of her forehead.

"OW!" she cried out. She clutched her forehead. "_Why_?! _Why_ do people always go for my_ face_?!"

"GET OUT OF MY MESS TENT!" Erity shrieked.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with the Straw Hats...<strong>

"Hey, I thought of something we can use against Erity!" Nami shouted. "Remember back in the jungle when Vaughan implied she was old? She completely flipped out! I bet we can use that as a distraction." She struck a sultry pose. "Serves her right for breaking my staff and insulting me back in the jungle. My boobs are not grossly swollen. She's clearly just jealous of a gorgeous young thing like me."

"You're the epitome of beauty, Nami-swaaaaan~!" Sanji declared, happily spinning around. "Of course an old hag like her would be jealous!"

Robin glared at him, and Vivi snickered. Sanji appeared to have forgotten Robin and Erity were almost the same age.

"Anyway, you can use it to make her lose her head in a fight, and then rescue the crew!" Nami went on.

"Or you could make her so angry that she'll stop at nothing to deprive you of your manhood," Lysopp pointed out quietly to Nami. "I know that's what happened when she started chasing me."

The men of the group suddenly stared at Lysopp in horror and sympathy.

"She didn't_ succeed_!" Lysopp explained hurriedly, blushing. "I mean, seriously!"

The menfolk all sighed in relief. With that misunderstanding having been dealt with, the pirates continued their journey, moving into even more mountainous terrain. They were stopping to climb up small cliffs nearly every five minutes. (Oddly enough, the sun _still_ had yet to fully set.)

"Geez, Robin, how did you get around these parts?" Tony asked. He was in Walk Point and climbing like a mountain goat, while his younger self remained in Brain Point and rode on his back.

Robin smiled and made an extra pair of arms bloom from her elbows. "I had plenty of handholds."

Chopper looked down at his own hooves. He wondered what it would be like to be able to grow extra limbs whenever he wanted. He could perform surgery all by himself, with extra hands holding all the instruments he needed! He smiled to himself. He was glad he joined this crew. The members, especially his future ones, were all so nice, not to mention they had amazing abilities-

Chopper inhaled sharply. He remembered something. "... Guys? Do you think we should know what the future crewmates can do along with the hunters?"

Everyone looked sharply at the younger reindeer, making him feel uncomfortable.

"What do you mean, Tony?" Vivi asked gently.

"It's just... Runo used Future Sanji and Franky to attack your group," Chopper continued timidly. "He'll probably do it again. And Lysopp said there's a chance those of us from the past will have to fight, so maybe-"

"No," Luffy interrupted sharply. "I don't want to know my crew can do in the future, because we're not going to fight them. We'll leave them to the rest of the future crew."

"But-" Chopper began.

"You guys said you all had to fight Chopper-ossan when he was hypnotized and didn't cause any damage until Zoro-ossan got involved. It's the same with the hunters- we're not fighting them unless we have to, but I want all of our time's crew to avoid them the most. Okay?"

Everyone stared at Luffy, then all nodded in response.

Luffy nodded slowly back, then looked at Robin. "I guess next on the hunter list is...?"

Robin's composed herself from Luffy's outburst, then her expression became grim. "Enoch Vaughan. He's going to be a hassle, that's for sure."

The rubberman scowled, recalling his fight with the red-eyed man. Nami and Lysopp shuddered- they remembered when they first encountered him. They could still feel their blood hardening as he lifted them up by their blood vessels.

"As I'm sure you've already figured out, he ate the Blood Blood Fruit, making him a blood-manipulation man. It's a nasty yet versatile ability. Crocodile actually did want to recruit him, but we could never find a way to contact him. He seems to be the type of man who can't be found when he doesn't want to be."

"He said he saw us on Sabaody two years ago," Roronoa said with venom.

Robin winced. "Yes, I'd heard Sabaody was his stomping ground for a number of years. He was known as 'Blood King' in those days, due to both his abilities and his efficiency in capturing bounties. He has devil fruit powers, can use Observation and Armament Haki, knows hand-to-hand combat, and is a skilled sniper and swordsman. He has nearly all his bases covered, which is why he is so good at what he does. Some associates I made in the last two years held an interest in him, and as far as I've heard, he alone has turned in over 200 bounties since he first began hunting at age twenty one."

Everyone's mouths dropped in awe. Vaughan had stated he was twenty seven- he'd turned in_ that_ many bounties in just six years, even with the Carrion Bounty Hunters?

"Armament Haki?" Nami questioned, shaking off her shock.

"That's the second form of Haki, also known as Busoshoku Haki. It creates this armor on your body that increases the power of your attacks," Roronoa answered. He held out his fist, and to the past Straw hat's further surprise, it turned shiny and black. "It just happens to be my specialty."

"Vampire Guy did that! Along with predicting my attacks, he made his rifle and hands all shiny too!" Luffy said, grabbing Roronoa's fist to examine it. "Then he hit me and it hurt! My rubber body didn't bounce it back like it should have!"

Roronoa took his fist back and the black faded into ordinary skin.

"That's why Busoshoku Haki is a preferred form of Haki," Robin said. "It also allows the user to bypass devil fruit abilities. When a Haki user punches you, you may as well be an ordinary human."

"You can counter it with your own Haki, but it has to be stronger than your opponents'," Roronoa added.

"So it's another mystery ability!" Luffy decided.

"As if you guys weren't inhuman enough," Lysopp said enviously to Roronoa, Sanji, and Luffy. "I would kill to have Haki."

"Everyone has it, but not everyone can awaken it," Tony said. "Our Sanji told us that, remember? Maybe you just haven't awoken yours yet."

Sanji smiled. His future self had the ability to use Haki? He bet it was stronger than Mosshead's.

Luffy thought back to his grandfather. Did he have this mystery Haki? If he did, that would explain his Fist of Love... wait, did _Nami_ have Haki? Was that why she was able to hit him all the time?

"It sounds like Vaughan is an advanced user if he can utilize Haki so easily," Robin observed. "Not surprising, considering his life before he became a bounty hunter."

"What was he before he was a bounty hunter?" Vivi asked.

"A Rear Admiral."

At the sound of the simple, casual statement, the group- save for Robin, Luffy, and Carue (who caught Vivi)- all tripped over their own feet. They were fortunate enough not to go tumbling over a nearby cliff. Then a moment later, they stood erect in sheer terror.

"A REAR ADMIRAL?!" Tony and Chopper squealed.

"That nutcase was a _marine_?!" Sanji and Roronoa hollered, too startled to realize they had spoken in unison.

"A _high-ranking_ marine?!" Lysopp, Vivi, and Nami squeaked in terror.

"Yes. He entered the marines when he was sixteen and quickly rose through the ranks." Robin suddenly smiled and crossed her arms. "From what I've heard, he was trained at Marine HQ, directly under Vice Admiral Garp."

Luffy paled comically.

"As in _Garp the Fist_?!" Nami yelled. "That's the guy who used to hunt down Gold Roger! Vaughan was trained by _him_?!"

_Garp..._ Lysopp, Roronoa, and Tony all thought._ That explains a lot_...

Vivi noticed Luffy's new paleness, and that he was shaking. "Luffy? Are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick."

Carue nudged the pirate captain with his bill.

"I'm fine..." Luffy said weakly. "Can we just stop talking about the Fist...?"

_Is Luffy afraid of Vice Admiral Garp?_ Vivi thought- and what an weird thought it was. Vivi didn't think Luffy was afraid of anything. She glanced at Robin._ Did she bring him up on purpose..._?

"Of course, Captain," Robin said with a giggle. "Anyway, Vaughan was an extremely successful marine. He was decorated many times for his skills and completion of missions. Pirates everywhere feared his name. In fact, during those days he was known under a different epithet- Enoch 'Bloodbath' Vaughan.

"BLOODBATH?!" Lysopp, Nami, Vand the two reindeer all cried out in horror.

"He was famous for shedding disproportionate amounts of blood in battle," Robin said in a chipper voice. "Though strangely enough, he never once killed anyone. He turned in all his bounties alive as well. Rumor is that he's morally against killing."

"Then why did he try to kill me?" Roronoa asked.

"Maybe you just caught him on a bad day," Robin suggested. "Or maybe he never intended to kill you in the first place."

Roronoa grunted in response.

Luffy frowned. Vampire Guy _didn't_ want to kill Zoro-ossan? Then what was with the tranquilizers and his attitude back during their fight? On the other hand... Vaughan _had_ beaten him to a bloody mess and taunted him, but he gave him food and a lot of what he said turned out to be good advice. It was almost as if... had Vaughan been _teaching_ him in a way? This was confusing and made Luffy's head hurt. Maybe he could ask Vampire Guy next time he saw him, once they got their nakama back.

"Then the guy gets the 'Not as Big a Jerk as You Could Be' award," Sanji snarked. He hadn't forgotten what Vaughan did to Nami. "If this bastard was such a hot-shot marine, then why is he a lowly bounty hunter now?"

"That's the mystery. Now long after he gained his promotion to Rear Admiral, he resigned from the Navy," Robin replied. "That was the same year he became a bounty hunter. Nobody knows why."

"The marines are hypocritical scum," Roronoa snorted. "Maybe he just realized that and left."

Robin shrugged. "Your guess is as good as any, Roronoa. What's important is that he's here now and he's the strongest of the four lieutenants. From what you've seen and told me, he can turn blood into weaponry and even control it while it's still in the human body. You will most likely be the one to fight him, so start strategizing."

Roronoa gave his signature shark grin and actually drew Shusui. "I owe the red-eyed freak a duel anyway. I intend to show him just how much I've progressed since Sabaody."

At the mention of the Archipelago, the past Straw Hats noticed the Future Straw Hats had grown grim- well, more grim than they currently were.

Sabaody had been mentioned before, and apparently it was a touchy subject for their older counterparts. Just what was this place like?

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Bounty Hunter Camp, Vaughan's tent<strong>

It was times like these he missed good ole' Sabaody Archipelago.

Vaughan shrugged off his coat and leaned back on his cot, exhaling cigarette smoke. Now that was a thought he never thought he'd have. Sabaody was a cesspool of corruption, hypocrisy, and immorality, and he pretty much hated it. That, however, didn't change the fact it _had_ been his home for four years. Plus, things were _so_ simple there. Catch a filthy pirate, go drinking, blow money on slave liberation, avoid the Tenryubitto, catch another filthy pirate... it was all routine and basic. It was perfect for a bounty hunter who liked fighting but didn't want to make the effort to go looking for those fights, such as himself.

Vaughan put his arms behind his head and sighed to himself. "And yet... I just gave it all up for_ Carrion._"

The Carrion Bounty Hunters... they were simple in their own way, but not to the degree of Sabaody. Carrion wanted the Star, Erity wanted to help Carrion for whatever reason, and the twins just wanted to get paid and fight strong enemies. He didn't count the rest of the lackeys- to Vaughan, they were just cannon fodder that got in his way much too often. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even like his team that much (except maybe Erity. She was fun to argue with). He'd only suggested they join the hunters to Carrion due to their skills. Yari was creepy and conceited, Runo was creepy and psychotic, Erity was whiny and short-tempered, and Carrion...

... Carrion was Carrion. That was a good enough reason in of itself. The man had decent leadership and strategic skills, but it was no surprise why he got tossed out of the Navy besides his less-than-ethical actions. The man was blood-thirsty (even by the Navy's standards) and power-hungry. The only reason he even wanted the Star and Straw Hat was to suck up to his former superiors and get his job back, plus interest. It was all about status and power with that guy- a trait not uncommon within the Navy. It was one of the many, many reasons Vaughan left in the first place.

Vaughan frowned, coated his fingerless-gloved hand with Haki, then crushed his cigarette in his palm. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss the Navy, if only a little. For all it's faults, it hadn't been that bad. He grown stronger with them and made a number of friends. He missed them, he missed the challenges presented, heck, he even missed old man _Garp_-

The red-eyed man froze.

_"You think just because you've had prior training you have what it takes to be a marine?!" Garp yelled, ramming his fist into sixteen-year-old Vaughan's gut. "Think again!"_

_Vaughan went flying into the courtyard wall. His body didn't know how to react- whether to pass out from the pain or to throw up everything he'd eaten that day. It eventually chose neither option, for Vaughan pulled himself free and ran towards the Vice Admiral. With all of his strength, he threw a wild Haki-coated haymaker right towards his face..._

_... only for Garp to catch it with ease._

_"Oh, crap," Vaughan whispered. _

_"HA! You call that a punch?! I know two snot-nosed punks in the East Blue who hit better than you, _without_ Haki!" Garp squeezed the younger man's fist and reared back his free hand. "Prepare yourself for a drastic reeducation, Enoch!"_

_Garp's fist impacted, and Vaughan knew only blackness._

"... Okay, maybe that last one's a bit of a stretch," Vaughan muttered to himself. "And looking back, those 'two snot-nosed punks' must have been Straw Hat and his brother. That's disappointing."

Wait, what had been his original thought?

... Oh, right, giving up life on Sabaody for Carrion.

Well, it was a hell of time to start regretting that decision- the Carrion part, not the 'leaving Sabaody' part. He'd already made the decision to leave Sabaody, but perhaps joining up with the first moron who wanted to locate the lost island hadn't been the best of plans, even if it had proved fruitful in the end.

_I'm really here,_ he thought. _I'm on Time Island... on Kāla._

He'd been on the island for more than a day, and yet the idea was still a novel one. Part of him wondered if this was just a weird booze-induced dream, but his senses confirmed it wasn't (besides, he hadn't had a drink since before he joined the Carrion Bounty Hunters). After all these years, he'd finally found it.

Vaughan's hand went to his chest, where the pendent of his medallion rested. He squeezed the cold metal tightly

_To think, there was a time where I had given up_, he thought. _Ugh, Bhanu would have given me the beating of a lifetime for that. If there was one thing he hated, it was a quitter. He taught me that one the hard way._ Vaughan chuckled. _He was almost as bad as Garp in his teachings... almost_.

But the past was irrelevant. The time was fast approaching to put the final stages of his plan into action, and then at long last, his family's duty would be put to rest. He would be free... as would Siobhan.

"... Yeesh," Vaughan said aloud. "Here I am laying down in my tent, in the dark, contemplating my life. I must be finally getting old."

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity. I told the younger Cat Burglar that one earlier."

Vaughan darted his eyes to his tent's large opening. Erity stood there with her arms crossed, smirking at him.

_Man, she looks like Shakky when she does that_. He sighed. "What do you want, hag?"

Erity twitched, but for once she didn't react. "I just decided to be a nice person and tell you dinner was ready. You coming or what?"

"Fine, give me a minute."

Vaughan sat up and swung his legs over the side of his cot, showing his bare back to the mohawked woman. Almost immediately, he heard her gasp.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MAIDENHOOD HAPPENED TO YOUR _BACK_?!" she shrieked in horror, pointing.

Vaughan winced. That's right, he'd taken off his coat and he never wore a shirt. This was the first time she was seeing his back uncovered.

Erity's eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. Vaughan's back was a mural of thick, yellow, red, and black third-degree-burn scars. They covered most of his back, stretching from beneath his shoulders to just above the small of his back. They looked old and painful.

Vaughan stood up and and stretched his arms. "When I was seven, my village was attacked by pirates. My house caught fire and burning debris ended up falling on me. My uncle managed to get me out, but he couldn't do anything about my back."

"... Do they hurt? The scars, I mean."

"They used to, but it's been awhile."

Erity supposed this was the reason Vaughan didn't like pirates. She shuddered and recrossed her arms. "With your back looking like that, I'm surprised you don't make more of an effort to hide them. Aside from your red jacket, you rarely wear a shirt."

Vaughan scoffed and put on said red jacket. "The scars aren't going anywhere, and I refuse to go the extra mile to hide them just for other people's comfort." He turned to face her and pounded a fist against his muscled chest. "Besides, a real man shows what he's got."

Erity chuckled. "Who gave you that pearl of wisdom?"

"Same uncle who pulled my rear out of the fire. Literally."

"I'd like to meet this guy, he sounds like a riot." Erity pointed to Vaughan's face. "While we're talking scars, mind telling me how you got that one on your cheek?"

All humor faded from Vaughan's expression, it becoming guarded and cold. "Don't you have dinner to take care of?"

_O-kay, clearly not something he wants to talk about_, the older woman thought. "Whatever. Just get to the mess tent before Runo gets there and eats it all."

Vaughan scowled, then walked over to a corner of his tent and picked up his rifle. He slung it over his shoulder, paused, then slung a broadsword over the opposite shoulder.

"Why are you bringing weapons to the mess tent?" Erity said with mild exasperation.

"Hey, like the boss said, it's only a matter of time before Straw Hat stages a rescue. The guy kind of has a rep for being unpredictable." The scarred man gripped the hilt of his sword. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"If you say so, Enoch. Come and get your food." With that, Erity turned on her heel and walked out of the tent.

Once she was gone, Vaughan knelt down and opened one of his wooden chests. He removed a metal flask and slipped it into one of his pants' numerous pockets. He then stood up and started to exit his tent.

_Wait_...

Vaughan looked down at his medallion. The eye engraved on its pendant stared back up at him.

He quickly lifted the medallion from his neck and slipped it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

_There,_ he thought. _It's better I hide that for now. I can't have Siobhan seeing it just yet. She might recognize it_. _No sense in ruining everything when I've come this far._

Seeing as everything was taken care of, Vaughan left his tent. From what he could smell, Erity had made her famous pork soup. Letting that go to waste would be just plain criminal.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Back with the Straw Hats...<strong>_

"Vampire Guy was such a huge jerk," Luffy grumbled. "His medallion was pretty cool though. And he gave me food."

"As Whiskey Peak proved, just because someone gives you food doesn't make them good people," Vivi pointed out.

"I know, I know. I still wanna see my older self beat him up."

"Then hopefully we'll find him once we rescue our comrades," Robin said. "We could really use him right about now."

They were getting pretty close to the camp now. According to Robin and Nami, they just had one more formation to cross. And it was just in time too- the sun appeared to finally be making its full descent into the sky.

"Does anyone else wonder what our Luffy is even doing right now?" Lysopp said as he edged along the narrow path the group was taking. "I mean, it wouldn't the first time he dropped off the radar for a period of time, but still."

"This _is_ Luffy we're talking about," Tony said. "He has a habit of showing up right when we need him. Who knows, maybe he'll come during our rescue mission!"

"That would be awesome!" the present Luffy declared.

"He better show up," Roronoa growled. "And when he does, I'm knocking him upside the head for getting so freaking lost."

"As if you're one to talk?" Nami said with irritation.

"Shut up, witch!"

"Don't talk to Nami dear like that!" Sanji bellowed. "Apologize!"

"Make me!" Roronoa barked.

"That's enough of that!" Vivi scolded them. "This path is very narrow and the last thing we need is someone falling off due to a dumb argument!"

"Quaw!" Carue agreed.

They moved along in silence for a few more minutes before someone else spoke up.

"Do you think Future Luffy is okay? What if he got captured too?" Choppered asked worriedly.

"If he was captured, then Runo would have undoubtedly bragged about it," Lysopp answered bitterly. "Luffy can take care of himself. Wherever he is, he's fine... it's the crewmates who got captured in the cavern I'm worried about."

Sanji snarled. "What? What about Future Nami? She was hypnotized by Runo!"

"So were Mr. Franky and your future self," Vivi reminded him.

"And me!" Tony added.

"They're fine- I doubt Runo would let anything happen to his precious 'toys.' But who knows what he and the other lieutenants are doing to Brook, my younger self, and Zoro," Lysopp explained. "Their boss obviously wants our bounties very badly, so he might make his cronies do anything and everything to keep them from escaping or fighting back."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Luffy said suddenly. "I know we talked about him a little earlier, but, Robin, do you know anything else about their Boss? Rotten Meat?"

"You mean Carrion." Robin shook her head. "I'm sorry, but besides what I've already told you, I know nothing about him. He doesn't actively hunt bounties like the lieutenants or the lesser members, so there's no information on his abilities. He was a Rear Admiral for a number years, but he was on the level of a Vice Admiral. That means he at least knows some form of Haki. A marine can't be promoted to that rank unless they do."

_If that's the case, then Grandpa _definitely_ has Haki_, Luffy thought with a shiver. "So.. we shouldn't fight him then."

"He's more of a wild card than Erity. That would be our wisest option since our primary goal is to get our friends then get out."

"Right." Luffy noticed some of his crewmates had dismal looks on their faces. "Come on, guys, it'll be okay! Our friends are strong, even those from the past, just like Zoro-ossan said! I bet they won't even need that much help escaping! Robin said that Cantaloupe-"

"Siobhan," Chopper corrected.

"- girl was also in the camp. Maybe they're together and sharing pirate stories! You know, the ones who aren't hypnotized, since I don't think hypnotized people can _tell_ stories."

It was a happy thought, Luffy's crew conceded, but an unlikely one. You had to be some level of stupid to put four prisoners with the potential to escape together in the same area.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Center of the Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp<strong>

"... and that's the story of how I, the brave Captain Usopp, singlehandedly defeated the rogues of Whiskey Peak and became the lord of the Sea Kings," Usopp wrapped up his story with flourish.

Siobhan stared blankly at him as she sat crosslegged in her cage, her chin resting in one hand while the other drummed its fingers on her knee. After a moment of consideration she gave her response to Usopp's story.

"Liar."

"HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"

"I'M _GONNA_ KNOW IF YOU TELL ME!"

Usopp slumped over in dejection while the skeleton next to him patted his knee (being tied up, it was the best he could do).

"If it's any consolation, Usopp-san, I found your story to be rather entertaining," Brook said encouragingly.

"I did too, even if it was a lie," Siobhan agreed. She smiled at Brook. "I still liked yours better, Bones."

Usopp snapped back upright. "Yeah, me too actually. I still can't believe you were part of the crew that left Laboon at Reverse Mountain! I had no idea Crocus had his facts so wrong!"

At Crocus's name, Siobhan twitched. _No, it couldn't be..._

"Thank you both. You especially for believing me, Usopp-san."

The sniper shrugged as best as he could, being chained to a pole and all. "Eh, you're one of the crew. I was a little skeptical at first, but I have no reason not to believe you after all we've been through so far."

"Your words warm my heart... though I no longer have one! Yohohoho!"

Siobhan laughed along with him. "Hahahaha! Good one!"

"Please don't encourage him," Usopp pleaded.

Siobhan stopped laughing and crossed her arms, grinning. "Welp, a deal's a deal. You told me your pirate stories, so feel free to ask me about anything you might want to know about this place."

"Excellent!" Usopp said. "This one has really been bugging me. Just how does this island travel in time in space?"

Siobhan's grin became a deadpan look. "How the heck am I supposed to know?"

Usopp face-faulted. "You_ live_ here!"

The younger girl scowled and looked at Brook. "Bones, tell me something. You live on a ship with grass growing on its deck, right? How does that work?"

Brook thought that over. "... You know, I have no idea. I never asked Franky-san, I suppose."

"My point exactly." Siobhan turned back to Usopp. "Just because I live here doesn't mean I know _everything_ about it. Besides, I stopped wondering how the time travel thing worked ages ago. It was a waste of brainpower trying to figure it out. So if that's your way of asking why two versions of your crew are on this island, I got nothing for you."

"Weren't you the one bragging about your _plethora_ of _information_ earlier?" the sniper snarked.

"As I have been told many times, nobody likes a smartass. Ask another question."

Brook sensed the tension, so he decided to break the ice a little. "You have a very interesting name, and not just your surname. 'Siobhan' is an Northern Blue name, and from your attire, I doubt you're from there."

"Not really a question, but I'll do my best," the redhead girl said. "You're right, I'm from the West Blue. The day I was born, an ambassador was visiting my village. As a show of peace, my father allowed the ambassador to pick my first name- apparently he named me after his old aunt who lived in the northern sea or something. As for my surname, in my tribe we were given unique ones based off of traits we exhibit as kids."

"And the one they gave you was 'Piranha'?" Brook inquired.

"Yup."

"That's just silly," Usopp said. He lifted his foot and prodded Siobhan's cage with it. "You're a little annoying, but why would they give a cute little girl such a ferocious surname-"

Usopp was interrupted by Siobhan pushing her head between the bars of her cage and clamping down on his ankle. Hard.

"_AIEEEEEEEE_!" Usopp squealed. "OKAYOKAYYOU'VEMADEYOURPOINTLETGO!"

Siobhan held on for a few more seconds, but obliged. Usopp now had a bite mark on his ankle. It even bled a tiny bit.

"That'd better not scar..." Usopp whimpered.

Siobhan spat out blood. "Any more questions?"

"Hmm, oh, yes, I have one!" Brook replied nervously. "What can you tell us about the treasure hidden on this island?"

"Why, do you want it?"

"No, but the Carrion Bounty Hunters do. They must have a reason, because I doubt they would go this far for just gold and jewels."

Siobhan frowned. She wasn't sure if she should tell them. While these two were far more trustworthy than Carrion and his men... no, she couldn't do it. It was the same situation as whether or not to tell Bloom Woman about the Greater Ruins. She just couldn't risk it. Thankfully, she was a much better liar than Fish Lips.

"Believe it or not, that's another thing I don't know," she lied in false frustration. "All I know is that it was sealed s_omewhere_ on this island- not that I know where- for being too dangerous, and they left me in charge of protecting it."

"Now _I_ have a question," Usopp spoke up, ignoring his pained ankle. "Who in their right mind would leave a young girl alone on an island to guard it? You're twelve, right? You said earlier you've lived here for three years, so that means you've been here since you were _nine_. That's messed up."

Siobhan smirked. "Don't underestimate me. I was chosen for this honor because I was the strongest in my village. We of the Saṅkalpa are warriors born!"

"I'll take your word for it, but still, doesn't it get lonely being here all by yourself?" Usopp asked, a little concerned for the girl.

Brook looked solemn. "I was alone for fifty years. I was sick to death of it- though I was already dead- after just one year."

Siobhan's eyes widened.

_"You're the guardian of this island's treasure, are you not?" Carrion asked, managing to sound polite. "If I took it off your hands and left it's protection to the World Government, you could finally leave this place. You could find a new home and wouldn't have to be all alone on this small island. Isn't that you want? Isn't that what every lonely person wants?"_

_"Siobhan, I'm not gonna lie to you. You're a great kid and you have a lot potential. In addition, I don't like the idea of you staying on this island alone," Captain-sama said, ruffling her hair. "So hows about you join my crew? My cabin boys are fond of you and so am I. No one should be alone if they can help it."_

"... Why do they_ always_ ask that?" Siobhan whispered to herself.

Usopp leaned forward to hear better. "Pardon?"

"Nothing!" the gold-eyed girl answered hurriedly. "As for your question, yeah, I get lonely sometimes but it's not so bad! This place always gets tons of visitors from every sea and time! Why, just last week I was visited by this very nice pirate crew. Captain-sama had a lot of stories and his cabin boys played with me!"

"Captain-sama?" Brook echoed.

"Oh, that was my nickname for the pirate captain... actually, I originally called him Grinner, because he had this _really_ big smile. But he earned my respect so I changed it. And then that got Specs, Spaz, and Straw Hat in my face because _they_ wanted new nicknames-"

"_Straw Hat_?!" Brook and Usopp shouted in unison.

Siobhan blinked, then chuckled. "That's right, that's _your_ captain's epithet, isn't it. Well, I'm talking about one of Captain-sama's cabin boys. He wore this ratty old straw hat, so that was my nickname for him. I try not to go for the overly obvious, so I chose to focus on the hat."

"What was so obvious about him?" Usopp asked blandly.

Siobhan pointed to her head. "His hair. It was the exact same color as mine! I wouldn't be surprised if he had some Saṅkalpa blood in him! Anyway, at the end of the day I decided 'Straw Hat" was a much better nickname than 'Red Hair.'"

On those last two words, Usopp and Brook's eyes (or the latter's would have if he had eyes) widened in realization.

_Wait a minute..._ Brook thought.

_Red hair..._ Usopp thought.

_Straw hat..._ Brook thought.

_A cabin boy, at least at that point in his life..._ Usopp thought.

_And I'm fairly certain she recognized Crocus-san's name when Usopp-san mentioned it__..._ Brook thought.

The two pirates' thought merged.

_Is she talking about-?!_

"You three look like you're having fun."

The three prisoners heads all snapped to the left, just in time to see an approaching Vaughan. He was holding a bowl of soup and was in the middle of taking a bite.

"Blood Eyes! Where have you been?" Siobhan said in sarcastic joy. "You never call, you never write- one might think you're avoiding me."

"Siobhan, you are like death and taxes- completely unavoidable." Vaughan took another sip of soup. "But I didn't come here to continue our witty repartee. The boss told me that as soon as the sun went down, I had to return you to the tent."

Siobhan, Brook, and Usopp all looked up. Sure enough, the sun had gone down and the sky was now pitch black, filled with glittering stars. The moon was barely a sliver, on the verge of being a new moon. They had been so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed.

"Really?" Siobhan complained. "Alright, fine." She turned to face Brook and Usopp. "I guess I'll see you two later- you know, assuming Carrion doesn't make good on his threat to kill me."

"Don't worry, I won't let him," Vaughan assured her. "I'd hate for the world to lose such a great conversationalist."

"Haha. Just take me to the tent, Blood Eyes."

Vaughan tossed his empty bowl aside and effortlessly lifted up Siobhan's cage, balancing it on one shoulder. He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Usopp shouted. He just remembered something.

Vaughan turned to glance at him, the campfire light making his red eyes and facial scar look more evil than they already did. "What?"

Usopp flinched, swallowed, then spoke. "What... what did you guys do with Zoro?"

Brook silently cursed. He had completely forgotten about Zoro in talking to Siobhan.

Vaughan shrugged. "I don't know. I think Yari dragged him off somewhere while you and Soul King were unconscious. And frankly, that's all I want the extent of my knowledge to be."

That did nothing to soothe Brook and Usopp's worries.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Siobhan said optimistically. "If he's anything like Future Moss Hair, he's tough enough to handle Doll Girl or any of the other losers here."

"Losers?!" a voice cried out. It was the same lackey Siobhan had told to mate with a sea king. He was now making his way over to Vaughan and Siobhan. "That does it! Mr. Vaughan, step aside! I'm giving the little brat what coming to her-!"

The lackey suddenly tripped and fell on his face. The prisoners and Vaughan all sweatdropped.

"Huh?" Usopp grunted in confusion. "There was nothing there. What did he trip on?"

"Look at his ankle," Brook whispered.

Usopp did so. Wrapped around the lackey's ankle was a dark green vine. It appeared to coming from the jungle itself... though the jungle was quite a distance from the center of camp.

In her cage, Siobhan had discretely lifted her hand, and was now just as discretely lowering it. She looked at Vaughan. "May I go to my tent now?"

Vaughan stared at her, then shook it off. "Yeah, sure thing."

Vaughan walked away with Siobhan, leaving Brook and Usopp alone save for the other grunts milling about.

"... That was odd," Usopp commented.

"Quite so," Brook agreed.

Usopp pursed his lips. "... When she was talking about her Straw Hat, were you also thinking...?"

"Yes, actually. Do you think it's possible...?" Brook trailed off.

The sniper and musician looked at each other, then shook their heads. No, that was just silly. There was no such thing as _that_ big a coincidence.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Bounty Hunter Encampment<strong>  
><strong>Time: Night<strong>

All was silent in the camp. As per Carrion's orders, nearly everyone was getting much needed rest before the search continued in the morning. Treasure-hunting groups had filed in from all over the jungle, so every tent was full. The only ones moving around were the guards keeping an eye on Brook and Usopp and those watching the camp's perimeter.

So it was because of this no one noticed when blue eyes appeared in bursts of small petals in various locations around the camp. These eyes took note of where the lieutenants and Carrion were and what they were doing.

Erity was in her tent, sleeping peacefully in her cot.

Yari was asleep as well, only she was hugging a porcelain doll.

Runo was sawing logs in his cot, sprawled out as if he had been knocked down in a fight.

Vaughan wasn't just asleep, but he was also laying in his cot with a pair of headphones. An additional bloomed ear heard the music was none other than Soul King music being played at top volume.

Carrion had a fancy bed instead of a cot, but he was good and truly dead to the world. He was even wearing ear plugs and a face mask. Saffron was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor next to him.

Once that was done, the eyes checked on the prisoners. Brook and Usopp were sleeping, still tied to their post. Siobhan was in her cage in the storage tent, but appeared to be meditating instead of sleeping. There was no sign of Zoro or the hypnotized future crew.

From where she hid in the jungle surrounding the camp, Robin dispersed her bloomed eyes and opened her real ones. "I have eyes on Brook, Longnose, and Siobhan. There is no sign of Mr. Swordsman, our Nami, our Sanji, or Franky."

"Damn," Roronoa cursed. "The camp's not that big. Where the hell are they?"

"Let's get Brook and Usopp first," Tony suggested. "Once they're safe, we can search for the others."

"Good idea, Tony," Robin agreed. "Do we remember the plan?"

The swordsman and reindeer nodded, thinking back to earlier.

_The combined efforts of Robin and Nami finally led the group to the hunter's encampment. As it turned out, the camp was situated in a part of partially-cleared jungle surrounded on three sides by cliffs. It could be assumed that this spot was chosen due to its defense and being difficult to locate. Since accessing the camp via the fourth, non-mountainous side was impossible due to guards (well, not impossible, but it would cause an uproar and ruin the covertness), the Straw Hats were entering from one of the rock faces. They were currently positioned on the lower part in a large flat area. it provided enough coverage that they weren't easily seen._

_"Wow," Lysopp muttered, looking through his spyglass. "A lot of hunters are coming in."_

_"Carrion's rallying the troops." Sanji observed. "With all the trouble we've been causing, he must have decided to up his ante."_

_Luffy peered inconspicuously over the rocks. Somewhere down there were his nakama, from both the past and the future. They were so close... it was taking all of the rubberman's willpower not to go barreling down there and demanding his friends back. _

_"Captain?" Robin called softly. "Please come over here. Mr. Cook and I are going over the plan."_

_"Coming, Robin."_

_Luffy moved away from the rocks and joined the others by Sanji and Robin. Sanji was drawing a diagram of the camp in the dirt with a stick. _

_"I will admit, this will be way out of our comfort zone. Our crew has never really taken the covert approach," Sanji was saying._

_"Understatement of the century," Vivi deadpanned, recalling Whiskey Peak and Drum. _

_"Still, if we want this to work, we need to learn fast," Sanji continued. "This is how this is going to play out. Robin, Roronoa, and Tony are going to be the first to head in. It's their job to disable any patrol guards, as well as get Usopp and Brook since they appear to just be out in the open."_

_"Wait, what about Lysopp?" Nami asked. "Aren't we sending in all the future crew into the camp?"_

_"Someone has to stay here and keep an eye on the six of you," Robin told her. "Lysopp is the best choice since we need to save Longnose. His reaction to me will be bad enough, but if he sees his older self in a stressful situation..."_

_"... I would completely wig out," Lysopp admitted. "Which we don't need in order to keep the covert angle of this plan."_

_"I can't wait for you to meet your younger self," Luffy said. "Usopp will flip when he sees how manly he gets!"_

_"I was plenty manly back then, mind you," Lysopp sniffed._

_"Focus," Roronoa scolded lightly._

_Luffy and Lysopp quieted down._

_"Once Usopp and Brook are sprung, Robin will go find Siobhan and ask her if she wants to escape again. While she does that, Roronoa and Tony will hunt down Zoro since we can't see where he is from here."_

_"What about the rest of us?" Vivi asked. "What do we do?"_

_"Seeing how the last time any of us went against these guys we got our butts kicked- save you, Vivi my love-, it's our job to keep a lookout from here and be available, basically," Sanji replied. "We're not to get involved unless the situation looks really dire."_

_"In the event that you _do_ need to get involved, you're on defense only. Keep the enemy back and provide any kind of opening for escape," Robin filled in. _

_"What about those from our crew who are hypnotized?" Roronoa asked._

_"That's simple enough. Just hit them in the right temple," Chopper spoke up before anyone else could._

_Everyone looked at him, for what was the second or third time that day._

_"Care to explain, Chopper?" Nami asked the doctor gently._

_Chopper rubbed his hooves together anxiously. "Back when we were fighting Tony when he was hypnotized, we knocked him out by hitting him in the right temple. While trauma there would knock anyone unconscious, he was freed of his hypnosis immediately after."_

_Tony rubbed his right temple, which still sported a small bump. _

_No one else said anything for a few minutes, pondering Chopper's random observation from that attack in the jungle. _

_"... And in case you are against the future crew and all else fails, clock them in the right temple," Sanji sighed at last. "As for the lieutenants, just remember what we've learned about them to get around them. The objective here isn't defeat, it's rescue. Maybe some sabotage if we get the chance. We can worry about going all out once we have all our friends and Future Luffy with us." _

_"YOSH!" Luffy shouted. He was shushed for being too loud a second later. More quietly, he said, "Let's get our nakama back!"_

"Good," Robin said. "Let's move."

The three pirates moved forward silently, getting closer to the camp. They maneuvered past the perimeter (Robin and Roronoa already incapacitating the guards there), successfully entering the encampment. From there, they moved from tent to tent, effectively staying out of sight until they neared the center. They could see Brook and Usopp. Standing in front of them were two burly guards.

Robin lifted her arms and whispered, "_Doce Fleur_."

Arms bloomed on the guards' bodies, holding back their arms and necks and covering their mouths. Before they even had time to struggle, Robin finished her move.

She clenched her fingers. "_Clutch._"

The guards crumpled to the ground. The sound of falling bodies startled Usopp and Brook awake though.

"Wha?" Usopp said dazedly. He blinked sleepily and looked around, then caught sight of the three infiltrators. His gaze went directly to Robin, and his eyes bugged out. "IS THAT MS.-!"

An arm bloomed out of his shoulder and covered his mouth. Brook saw the limb and grinned.

"Robin-san!" he whispered excitedly. "You're a sight for sore eyes, though I have none!"

Making sure the coast was clear, Robin and Roronoa rushed to their side while leaving Tony to keep watch. The limb covering Usopp's mouth dissipated, which did nothing to calm the sniper. He looked on the verge of a full-blown heart attack.

"Do us a favor and try not to wake the entire camp, okay?" Roronoa said.

"Roronoa?" Usopp whispered. "What are you doing here? ... Scratch that, what's_ Ms. All-Sunday_ doing here?!"

"She's Robin, our morbid crewmate," Roronoa told him. "It's a long story."

Robin ignored Usopp and Roronoa's conversation, working on Brook's bonds. She grabbed the chains, only to pull her hands back with a hiss.

"Sea prism stone," she noted.

"I can't cut that," Roronoa pointed out, hearing her.

Robin looked over the chains, moving behind the post. She saw that the chains were kept in place by a simply padlock. She poked it and when none of her energy was drained, she decided it was not made of the same substance as the chains.

She pointed to the lock. "You can cut the lock. It's ordinary metal."

Roronoa nodded, drawing Shusui. With one clean swing, he cut the lock in half and the chains went slack. In no time at all their musician and sniper were back on their feet.

"This is much better," Brook said with relief. "You have no idea how hard sea prism stone is on my old bones."

"I can guess," Robin said dryly. She gave him a once-over. "Where's Soul Solid?"

"They took my sword and Usopp-san's gear when they captured us. I have no idea where they're keeping them."

"Fabulous, now we have to fine those too," Roronoa grumbled. "And where's my younger self?"

"We don't know," Usopp replied, rubbing his sore arms. "As far as we've gathered, Yari dragged him to who-knows-where while we were unconscious. I'm really worried about him."

"We'll find him, but first you need to get up to the western wall. The rest of our group is there. Brook will help us find Mr. Swordsman and your belongings," Robin said.

Usopp gave her a wary look.

Roronoa hit him upside the head. "Be suspicious of her later. You need to get out of here."

"You can trust her, Usopp-san. I know her past is sketchy, but she's a good person," Brook added earnestly.

Usopp stood there, conflicted, for few seconds before groaning in defeat. "Fine. I just want to get out here."

"Then go," Roronoa said, gesturing.

"Got it. But please make it fast- I don't want any of the lieutenants to find us now," Usopp said, shivering and looking around. "Especially Runo- he's completely cuckoo! If he discovers us, he's going to..." Usopp paled suddenly. "... going to..."

Usopp wasn't looking at his friends anymore. He was staring at whatever was behind them. Very slowly, Robin, Roronoa, and Brook turned. They soon wished they hadn't.

"No, please, don't stop on _my_ account," Runo said with mock cordiality, dangling a limp Tony from his hand. "By all means..."

_Crap!_ Roronoa thought.

Robin grit her teeth. _He's awake_!

Runo closed his eyes and tossed the little doctor towards them. Roronoa caught Tony and the glare-off continued. When the bounty hunters opened his eyes, the one not being covered by his hair shimmered, radiating pure bloodlust. He ran his tongue over his teeth.

"_Give me some ideas._"

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><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

**_300-Something Review Special- Omakes Galore #3!_**

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><p><em>"Ugh, can we please just do that!" Erity moaned. "This whole 'running around the jungle blindly' thing is getting old!"<em>

This, ladies and gentleman, is what's called "lampshading."

_Roronoa snorted. "You're the last person to criticize someone for stubbornly not wanting to be saved, Robin."_

Enies Lobby. That is all.

_"What doofus in the World Government came up with something that stupid?" Nami asked. "He should get slapped for it!"_

_**Meanwhile, in another time and place...**_

_"Aaa-choo!" Spandam sneezed, causing him to spill hot coffee all over himself. "YEEEE-OOOOUUCH! Stupid coffee! Whoever is talking about me will pay for this!"_

And he did get slapped for it... even if Robin didn't know that at the time.

_Robin shook her head. "I doubt it. I'm willing to bet that Yari and Runo spread rumors about him having the Haze Haze Fruit in an effort to keep his real abilities a secret. Did you know that the World Government has a blacklist for devil fruits?"_

This is a little headcanon of mine. With all the devil fruits in the world, there have to be a few the WG will not tolerate. The blacklist will actually be a minor plot point in a future fanfic of mine, so I'm introducing it here.

_"... I found these in Black Leg's locker in the boys' cabin."_

Actually, Sanji was planning to burn those.

_"This isn't the first time I've been tied to a post by an enemy and had an idiot talk nonsense in front of me." Zoro smirked. "Only difference here is that I doubt I'll be joining your crew by the end of this."_

See One Piece, episode 2 and 3 for details!

_Lysopp had violent flashbacks of the last time he insinuated Robin was old. He held up his hands in a placating manner. "And you look gorgeous!"_

This refers back to Film Z when Usopp commented that Robin should be glad to be eighteen again. We all know what happened after.

_"It bugs me," she confessed aloud. "You weren't meant to stand quietly like a emotionless toy, Sanji-lolly. This whole... hypnotized thing creeps me out. More so than usual. You're meant to jump and kick and curse and call me and my sisters denizens of Hell."_

By this point I'm sure you have all made your theories about Erity. This chapter pretty much confirms them, but I'm not confirming anything explicitly until later.

_"Yes, but a number of pirates I have encountered were quite taken with the concept. They act like the_ magic_ of _friendship_ can lead them to the One Piece."_

... Okay, I have watched MLP: FIM before. Had to be done.

_She struck a sultry pose. "Serves her right for breaking my staff and insulting me back in the jungle. My boobs are not grossly swollen. She's clearly just jealous of a gorgeous young thing like me."_

To those of you like Sanji who were curious, Erity has an average-sized bust. However, unlike most anime girls, she has no issue with it. She prefers it because it's better for movement and her center of balance.

_"As if you guys weren't inhuman enough," Lysopp said enviously to Roronoa, Sanji, and Luffy. "I would kill to have Haki."_

_"Everyone has it, but not everyone can awaken it," Tony said. "Our Sanji told us that, remember? Maybe you just haven't awoken yours yet."_

Foreshadowing for the win!

_"Then the guy gets the 'Not as Big a Jerk as You Could Be' award," Sanji snarked._

An award once given to Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.

_It was a happy thought, Luffy's crew conceded, but an unlikely one. You had to be some level of stupid to put four prisoners with the potential to escape together in the same area._

Well, it turned out they weren't that stupid. They only put _three_ together.

_... the Straw Hats were entering from one of the rock faces. They were currently positioned on the lower part in a large flat area. it provided enough coverage that they weren't easily seen._

Think of that scene from the Wizard of Oz, where the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow were spying on the Winkies.

_"No, please, don't stop on my account," Runo said with mock cordiality, dangling a limp Tony from his hand. "By all means... give me some ideas."_

If you recognized this as an edited line of Freeza's from TFS DBZ Abridged, congrats! I got into it a few weeks ago and it's hilarious. I plan to reference it a couple more times in this.


	24. 300-Something Review Special

**Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based fiction. One Piece belongs to Funimation, Toei Animation,** **Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official release.**

**I suppose I should explain myself.**

**I know I originally promised this would be the next installment of the Camp Assault, but some things have come up.**

**1.) I got into Dragon Ball, and that has held my attention some. (I saw Resurrection F in theaters!)  
>2.) I start college pretty soon, so there's that. (I'm majoring in <em>English With a Focus in Creative Writing<em>!) I still haven't found a place to buy books.  
>3.) The Camp Assault Mini-Arc is almost literally NOTHING BUT FIGHT SCENES. Fight scenes are a pain in the neck to write, so I have been procrastinating due to that.<br>4.) Due to a plot bunny, I started a _DBZ/Atlantis: the Lost Empire_ fic to write on the side. I've got most of it planned out, so it shouldn't take too long to complete (assuming I don't procrastinate). It's called _Vegetasei: the Lost Empire _if you're interested.  
>5.) Plain old writers' block. A problem I need to work through if I'm ever going to be a professional author. <strong>

**After starting and restarting Camp Assault Part 2 five times, I got frustrated and went to watch Dragon Ball Z for an hour. After which, I decided to just go ahead and write the next review special to get myself back in the _Tomorrow's Romance Dawn_ zone. It was overdue anyway. (I just realized that I'm going back to my roots of promising things then not delivering. EEK!) But after this, I WILL work on the next chapter. As English dub Naruto would say,_ Believe It!_**

**In other news, freelex30 on deviantart did this really awesome headshot of Vaughan. I put the link on my profile, check it out! (Though the links have been screwy lately. You might have to google it.)**

**If you lot see any new tropes in this chapter, be sure to add to the TV Tropes page! Also, if you see a grammar mistake, PM me! (Repeat, _PM_ me. Don't tell me in a review!) Enjoy!**

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><p><span><strong>SBS 11!<strong>

**Chapter Question: "_Do you intend to make the 3D2Y!Straw Hats realize their existence can be threatened by their younger selves' presence on the island?_"**

A fair question, and one I'm surprised did not come up sooner. The answer is yes, they will, but in all honesty they have nothing to worry about. The 3D2Y!Straw Hats don't remember being on the island when they were younger, so they basically are acting as their future selves did when they met them as their past selves (if that makes sense; time travel is confusing). Since none of them are dead in the future, nothing happens to their past selves. Also, in all honesty I'm going to have to risk the Past!Straw Hats. Otherwise they'd just be sitting around doing nothing, and that's boring.

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><p><span><strong>300-Something Review Special: Omakes Galore #3! 5 Brand New Stories Relating to <em>Tomorrow's Romance Dawn<em>!**

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><p><em><strong>1: Luffy's Adventures on <strong>_**_Kāla #2 (of 2)_**

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><p><strong>Time: Roughly around the time of the Runo's cavern ambush, so Day<br>Location: Unknown- presumably _somewhere _on ****Kāla**

At the time a certain ambush was in effect, a certain straw hat-wearing pirate captain was napping.

No, not the one who was still recovering from his fight with a red-eyed sniper/swordsman. (He was unconscious. Not napping.)

The one that everyone to this very moment was wondering what in the name of Whitebeard's Epic Mustache was he doing.

Well, he was napping. Pay attention.

You would nap too if you had been off adventuring in the jungle for countless sunrises and sunsets. Future Luffy, for all his energy, had to wind down eventually. He'd followed the path set for him by the trees for hours, coming across weird plants, big animals, and even a lake. The lake had had a Sea King in it. Luffy had no idea how a Sea King could even get in a lake, so he declared it to be a mystery and went on his way. Some time after that he'd eaten a couple of Sanji's box lunches then settled down for his nap. A nap he was now awakening from.

Luffy opened his eyes and sat up, adjusting his hat. Something felt... off, somehow.

_That one big 'voice'_... he thought. _It feels agitated. But why? Did someone knock over one of the trees_?

(The answer to that latter question was yes, and it was way more than one tree. Not that he knew that.)

Luffy stood up and dusted off his clothes. He could wonder what was bothering the big voice later. Right now it was best to keep moving, though he was starting to get the sneaking suspicion that the trees weren't leading him back to the Thousand Sunny. He would have just used his Haki to find his friends, but the annoying big voice was still making hearing difficult. So following the tree path was his best option.

Luffy caught sight of the clear path and once again began to walk it. Odds were he would run into one of his crew mates eventually, right? For all he knew, Zoro had gone and gotten himself lost again. Zoro had a knack for finding things when he got lost.

The rubberman continued down the path, picking up a walking stick somewhere along the way. Just because he was lost didn't mean he wouldn't indulge in a man's romance, which required hikes and long walks to have walking sticks. Eventually, he noticed that the trees were growing thinner and the terrain became more elevated and rocky. Going a little farther, Luffy soon found himself in what appeared to a quarry, in the sense that he was surrounded by cliffs and rocks.

In the center of the clearing was one large rock covered in painted images. Luffy walked up to it and stared at the images.

"Sun," he muttered, pointing to it. "Moon... tentacle monster... rolled-up piece of paper... spear... eyeball..." His finger landed on the last picture. "... star."

If anyone had been watching him guess what those images were, they wouldn't be sure as to why he did it. Maybe just to confirm his interpretation aloud?

Luffy wished Robin was with him. She would like these weird pictures. Maybe when he found her he could-

_**BANG!**_

Luffy felt something enter his shoulder, stretch out the spot, and shoot something back out. Without even blinking, he turned around in time to see a random man go down. Apparently he hadn't been expecting his bullet to fire back at him and embed itself in his leg.

In the few short moments he had been looking at pictures, Luffy had been surrounded by a medium-sized group of men and women. All were stony-faced and serious, thus making Luffy conclude that they were boring right off the bat. Still, it was odd he hadn't sensed them coming. Then again, the big voice was still muffling everything.

"Figures the new guy would be the first to screw up," one woman snickered.

"Yeah, everyone knows Straw Hat Luffy ate the Gum Gum Fruit. Bullets won't work," a man added.

"Should've used Haki," another said sagely.

Luffy said nothing and continued to observe them.

"Now, now, men. There's no need to be so harsh-_baga_," a throaty voice broke in. The voice's owner moved to the front of the group. "We've all made rookie mistakes-_baga._"

The voice's owner was a shirtless fishman wearing baggy trousers, the pantlegs tucked into a pair of combat boots. He had a round build, but was by no means fat- the roundness came from muscle. He had cropped blonde hair, sleek brown-black skin, spiny fins on top of his head and going down his back, a blunt nose, and sharp needle-like teeth peeking out from under his top lip. His most odd feature was a long flap of loose flesh starting from the hollow of his throat and ending just above his navel.

"Unit Leader Percy!" the men and woman cheered lovingly.

Percy grinned at them, showcasing more of his needle-teeth. This made all his subordinates wince, because the smile was incredibly creepy.

_Percy_

_Leader of the Carrion Bounty Hunters' Alpha Unit_

_(Black Swallower Fishman)_

"We'd gotten a report from Ms. Yari saying that the Straw Hats were here on the island-_baga_," Percy continued. "But I never thought we'd actually run into the captain-_baga_. Today's our lucky day_-baga._"

Luffy cocked his head to one side. "... Baka?"

"No, I said 'BAGA'! It's my verbal tic!" Percy snapped, so-called 'verbal tic' missing. He glared at his men. "Why didn't anyone tell me it sounded like the word 'baka'?!"

"You really seemed to like that one, Unit Leader," one man admitted. "We didn't want to rain on your parade."

"Well, now I have to choose a new one. _Again_. Thanks a lot," the fishman grumbled.

"Ooh! How about 'niku'?!" Luffy suggested, waving his arm back and forth like a third grader.

"I don't want suggestions from you, Straw Hat! You just ruined my last one!" Percy then crossed his arms and closed his eyes, clearly moving into deep thought. After a few seconds, his eyes opened again. "Okay! I'm ready now-_kama_! You're going to pay for ruining my tic for me, Straw Hat-_kama_!"

Luffy didn't really care, but if this guy wanted to fight, he wasn't about to turn him down. He was getting bored anyway.

"Do it, boss!" one Alpha member yelled.

"Yeah! If you catch Straw Hat, Boss Carrion will have to make you a lieutenant!" another cheered.

"Carrion?" Luffy echoed. His eyes widened and he pointed accusingly at the group. "You're with those Rotten Meat bounty hunters that attacked the Thousand Sunny! Jerks!"

"You ruined my verbal tic _and_ broke our chain hooks-_kama_!" Percy shot back. "Do you have any idea how time consuming it is to replace those-_kama_?! That was a jerk move, so I say we're about even-_kama_!"

Luffy paused and cocked his head to the side again. "... Okama?"

"_DAMMIT_, STRAW HAT!"

Enraged, Percy charged at the pirate, fist black and reared back for a punch. Even though he was on dry land, the fishman's speed was nothing to sneeze at. Luffy only had enough time to bring his own fist up and meet the punch, resulting in what had to be the Grand Line's strongest fist bump. Both were lucky they didn't break the other's knuckles

Percy wasted no time. Haki covered his foot and he rammed it into Luffy's side. The rubberman went flying, but he corrected himself midair and landed on his feet.

"Gum Gum _Pistol!_"

Percy avoided the incoming fist, rolling out of the way and landing in a crouch. He reared back his hand.

"_Arabesque Brick Fist!_"

Luffy recognized the technique name- Jinbe used it, so it was a Fishman Karate move. More importantly, he remembered what it did. A shockwave rippled through the air in all directions.

"Armament:_ Hardening_!" Luffy called out. Haki coated his arms and he crossed them in front of his face, bracing himself.

The shockwave didn't knock over Alpha Unit, which was impressive. They did, however, look annoyed that their leader used such a widespread technique so carelessly. Luffy sudden use of Haki protected him, so the most done to him was him being knocked on to his back. He jumped to his feet and, keeping his arms Haki-coated, began punching out.

"Armament: Gum Gum _Gatling_!"

Percy took a few good hits from the attack before moving out of the way by jumping into the air. He landed behind Luffy. The latter didn't hesitate and kicked out his leg.

"Gum Gum _Whip_!"

Percy jumped again to avoid it and thrust his elbow hard into Luffy's face. Luffy's head and neck stretched back, and as this happened he wrapped his arms around Percy's and coated his forehead with Haki.

"Gum Gum... _Bell!_"

"Special Attack- _Herculean Swallow_!"

As Luffy's head came into position, Percy opened his mouth impossibly wide and... the next thing Luffy knew, he was in some king of warm, sticky place, almost like a filmy bag. The walls secreted wet stuff that burned.

"Ha! How do you like that, Straw Hat_-boray_?!" he heard Percy gloat. "I'm a Black Swallower fishman, meaning my stomach is bigger and can extend-_boray! _Your corpse will decompose before I finish digesting you!"

If anything, Luffy now knew what that loose skin on Percy's chest was. It was part of his stomach.

_I've been eaten?! This hasn't happened since that snake from Skypeia!_ Luffy thought. He paused. _I wonder if there's any gold in here. Nami will want it_.

"Unit Leader, we need him alive to get the full bounty," an Alpha member reminded the fishman.

"I know, I know-_boray_!" Percy snapped back. "At least let me digest him a little-_boray_! I didn't have lunch-_boray_!"

Luffy had no intention of being digested. It would be hard to be Pirate King if he were someone's food, after all. Taking as deep a breath as was possible considering he was in a stomach (it burning a little due to the stomach acid in the air), Luffy inflated his body.

"Gum Gum_ Balloon!_"

On the outside, Percy was gloating to his subordinates when all of a sudden, his stomach grew even more bloated. They could actually see the flesh straining. Percy's stomach could hold a lot, but even he had his limits. His eyes bulging, the fishman began to gag. To everyone's disgust, he began to throw up. The bloating went down and out came Luffy, covered in slime.

Luffy stood up, trying to shake the bile off. "_EWWWW!_ I got puked out!"

Percy was still standing, but he was wobbly. Vomit dripped out of his mouth and tears streamed out his eyes.

"Straw... Hat... _boray_..." he coughed.

Luffy glared at him. "You know, you might have had a better chance of beating me if you hadn't tried to swallow me. Though you got through my Kenbunshoku Haki with the 'eating me' thing, so I guess that was kind of cool."

Percy short him a dirty glare. "You... bastard... _boray_..."

Luffy cocked his to the side. "... Boring?"

Percy let out a frustrated roar and charged... only to run smack-dab into Luffy's extended fist. That proved to be the final blow, for Percy went tumbling into the painted rock then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Luffy turned to look at the rest of Alpha Unit. He bowed. "Sorry for ruining his verbal tics."

"_DON'T APOLOGIZE!_" Alpha Unit all took out their weapons, continuing to shout in unison, "_GET HIM_!"

It was no contest, really. These other members weren't as strong as Percy and Luffy dispatched them easily. He saw one of the men trying to make a snail call, but a quick Gum Gum Pistol put an end to that. Soon enough, Luffy was surrounded by unconscious bounty hunters.

_I can't believe he didn't have gold in his stomach,_ Luffy thought. _Now I have nothing to give Nami so she won't be angry at me for getting lost_!

**_Grwwlll._**

Luffy looked down at his stomach. And then there was_ that_.

"Man, all that fighting made me hungry, and I've only got one box lunch left!" Luffy crossed his arms and raised his face towards the heavens. "Hey, island! Lead me back to the Sunny already! I want my dinner!" Pause. "And if you could help me find some gold, that would be good too!"

As if answering him, a wind blew and knocked his hat off his head. He scrambled to catch it, but stopped when he saw that it landed next to the painted rock.

When he had knocked Percy into it, the rock had moved a little. Luffy could now see a kind of space underneath it. He walked up to it and pushed hard, moving the rock farther back until the space was revealed to be a large hole.

"A hole, huh?" he said to himself, putting his hat back on. "I should go down there?"

Another wind blew. Luffy usually didn't like being told where to go, but he trusted his gut and his gut was telling him to go down that hole, just as it did with the tree path. He was about to jump down when he thought of something.

There were probably more of those bounty hunters out there. Robin had said they were good, and his crew may not know the hunters were there...

Luffy shook his head and smiled. "Shishishi! They'll be okay! My crew can handle a bunch a jerk rotten-meat bounty hunters!"

Without a doubt in his mind, Luffy jumped into the hole.

**A/N: Like I said, I don't like writing fight scenes (mostly because I'm not good at them), but this was needed. I hoped you liked Percy. For him I went ahead and looked up odd fish. Black Swallowers are a type of deep sea fish and they're freaking creepy! Look up a picture if you have the time!**

**Anyway, Luffy has jumped into a hole! What could happen next? Stay tuned!**

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><p><em><strong>2: Bleh, Bleh<strong>_

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><p><strong>Time: 1523 AOP, one year after the War of the Best<strong>  
><strong>Location: Aboard the Silverback, ship of the Carrion Bounty Hunters<strong>

"Is he in yet?"

"Do you not have anything better to do than antagonize him?"

"I'm a man of simple joys, little sister, and this is one of them."

"It is your funeral."

Runo stuck his tongue out childishly at his sister and looked excitedly around the ship's large dining room. It had been exactly two weeks since he and Yari signed on to this bounty-hunting crew. He hadn't wanted to originally, but it was impossible to argue with Yari once she got an idea into her head. Accept banishment without argument? Had to do it. Travel across the entire freaking Grand Line and go to the New World? Had to do it. Kill that guy from Baroque Works?... Okay, that had been _his_ idea, but he'd wanted to send the guy's _hand_ to Mr. 0, not his head. Even he had his standards.

Even so, Runo was now pretty happy with the decision. The ship was nice, he got to fight pirates whenever he wanted, there were so many new specimens for his toys, and best of all...

"He just came in, if you are interested," Yari said, primly sipping a cup of tea.

... he got cheap kicks at the expense of Boss Carrion's first lieutenant.

Runo hadn't liked the man when he first met him. He was way too serious and and condescending (one of the main reasons Runo hadn't wanted to join at first). Additionally, the guy looked like he could have been Dracula's BFF. Yari claimed this wasn't so- having tested him with a mirror, crucifix, and garlic two days ago- but in the long run this didn't matter to him. While Runo found him creepy, he did give him quite an opportunity.

Runo waited until the first lieutenant, Vaughan, walked past his and Yari's table with a tray of breakfast foods. He must have just woken up, given he was still wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and pajama bottoms. (He'd gotten an half an undercut a few days ago- Runo thought it looked stupid.)

Curling his fingers into claws, Runo stuck out his tongue and said, "Bleh, bleh!"

Vaughan stopped walking, shot Runo a glare, then went on his way.

Runo snickered to himself. "Did you see his face?!"

Yari rolled her eyes. "I will never understand why you insist on continuing with this juvenile behavior."

"It's because he clearly likes playing with fire."

The twins looked up to see the mohawked second lieutenant of the crew, Erity.

"What are you rambling about?" Runo asked her.

"You do realize Vaughan is the strongest member of the crew aside from the boss, right?" Erity pointed out. "Vaughan is one of the most even-tempered guys I know, but he told me he's been teased about his appearance for most of his life. If you keep this up, he's going snap."

"I hear he used to be a high-ranking marine," Yari added randomly.

"You two broads just let me worry about the Vampire, okay?" Runo said. He turned to Erity. "Also, if I want advice, I'll ask for it. Got it, hag?"

As soon as that last word left his mouth, an armored fist rammed into his face, knocking him from the table.

"I'M ONLY 28!"

Yari rolled her eyes and went back to her tea. It was about time her brother earned a punch. She was just sorry she hadn't been the one to deliver it.

* * *

><p>Runo leaned against the ship's main mast, rubbing the fresh bandage on his nose.<p>

"I still can't believe she broke my nose," he grumbled.

"I still cannot believe you are still going on about it. It was yesterday," Yari said, filing her nails. "You really need to work on your Haki."

He side-glanced her. "You know, you don't_ have_ to be here with me as I do this."

She shrugged. "I have decided that _if_ or _when_ Vaughan snaps, I want to be there to see it."

Runo turned away from her with a pout, but perked up almost immediately. Vaughan and Erity were stepping onto the ship's main deck.

"... so this guy really ate a random devil fruit and it turned out to be the Snot Snot Fruit?" Erity was saying, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Yeah, and to add insult to injury, his name was Petty Officer _Schnoz_," Vaughan went on, smirking.

"Ouch. That's just cruel and unusual."

"I know, I love it."

Runo smiled, waited until Vaughan and Erity were walking past him, then whispered, "Bleh, bleh."

Vaughan frowned and his eyes narrowed. Satisfied, Runo turned on his heel and started to walk away. He didn't get far because Vaughan hooked his fingers into the back of Runo's shirt, yanked him back, and made him look him in the eye.

"What are you-?!" Runo began to protest.

Vaughan smirked at him and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh, bleh."

With one mighty heave, Vaughan tossed Runo across the deck. The hypnotist ended up sailing right over the ship's railing.

"_CRAAAAAAAAAP!_"

**_SPLASH!_**

"Runo!" Yari cried out, running over to the railing. Vaughan and Erity joined her.

Erity glanced down at the water, then looked at Vaughan. "Was that really necessary?"

"I supposed it was a bit uncalled for," Vaughan admitted. "The ocean hasn't done a single thing to deserve Runo getting dunked into it."

Erity had to giggle at that.

Yari glared at them. "Stop joking! Runo is a devil fruit user, he cannot swim! You have to save him!"

"I'm a devil fruit user too, you know," Vaughan reminded her. "I'm just as much of a bag of hammers as you and your brother."

The two devil fruit users looked at each other, then looked at Erity.

Erity looked like she had eaten something sour. "Do I_ have_ to?"

"_Erity_!" Yari scolded.

"Fine, fine!" Erity kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the railing. "But I am_ not_ giving him CPR!"

That having been said, Erity dove expertly into the water.

Yari patted Vaughan's shoulder. "Good luck with that."

"What?! Why do I have to lip-lock Runo?!" Vaughan yelled.

"One, you were the buffoon who threw him overboard in the first place. Two, I am his sister."

"So?"

"So, I do not need those kinds of nightmares."

Vaughan scowled and crossed his arms, looking away from the swordswoman.

Yari studied him for a few seconds. "... You know, when Erity told us you would eventually snap, I was expecting a little bit more emotion on your part. But you kept your cool the entire time."

Vaughan smirked. "Runo's annoying, but he's small change compared to some of the people I've had to deal with. It will take someone ten times more irritating than him before I ever lose my composure. And so far, I've only known one person who could do that. The odds of me meeting another one are practically nil."

"May I inquire who that person was?" Yari asked in curiosity.

The red-eyed man's smirk faded and he stepped away from the railing. "It doesn't matter. He died a long time ago."

Yari watched as Vaughan walked up to the mast and sat down, presumably to wait for Erity to return with Runo.

_I do not think I will ever get a read on that man,_ she thought.

**A/N: I did mention this happened back during the 4th SBS, did I not? 'Bleh, bleh' is a sound stereotypical vampires are supposed to make. Clearly, Vaughan is not amused. Also if you recognized the ending, it was from an earlier chapter where Yari was in need of saving. Some things are just constant in a group.**

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><p><strong><em>3: The Mysterious Scar<em>**

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><p><strong>Time: 1524 AOP, during the events of Film Z<br>Location: Bath House, Secon Island**

Usopp yawned tiredly as he entered the baths, adjusting his towel. One day on this island and he was already exhausted. Nami hadn't been any help.

_"Z burnt up most of our stuff!" the pint-sized navigator said, hands on her hips. "We need to make money if we're going to replace it all! I'm putting you in charge of figuring out how."_

Was it possible that Nami's bossiness had increased by being turned into an eight-year-old? Then again, little kids did seem to have that mindset where they want everything and it was the grownups' job to see those wants fulfilled, no matter what the cost.

In any case, he'd hadn't met her demands yet, seeing as he had spent the day trying to find out more information about the Neo Marines. Robin said she would help him figure something out tomorrow. For now, he was going to take a long, relaxing bath without any disruptions, distractions, or-

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!" the sniper hollered.

As soon as he had entered the room, he was greeted with the sight of the Monster Trio (and Brook) at various stages of relaxation. Zoro and Sanji were loafing in their own pot-like tubs, while Brook and Luffy were standing in a shallow bath and splashing water on each other.

"Why are you so surprised?" Zoro asked lazily. "The witch told us to lie low, so we figured we might as well do it here."

Usopp's eye twitched. "... Wait, are you saying you guy's have been in here_ all day_?"

"Of course not!" Luffy said. "We stopped for lunch at one point! They have great food here!"

"And good milk!" Brook added. "Just look at how strong these bones have become!"

Usopp flopped over dejectedly. Leave it to these guys to go and have a bath day when everyone else was out doing real work.

"Oh, take it easy, Usopp," Sanji said. "You keep being this stressed, you'll go prematurely gray. Take a load off and take a bath."

Luffy ran over and tossed a bucket of water onto the longnosed man. "Water fight!"

Usopp sputtered and snatched the bucket from Luffy. "This means war!"

In no time at all Usopp, Luffy, and Brook were chasing each other around the room, tossing water into the others' faces and having a good time. Zoro and Sanji stayed out of it, but thoroughly enjoyed watching the proceedings.

After a little while, all the spilled water resulted in the three pirates slipping and landing on each other in a giant heap. Thankfully all their towels stayed in place.

"You guys okay?" Sanji asked.

Luffy stuck his thumb up into the air. "We're good!" The pirate started to get up, pushing Usopp's foot off his face, when he noticed something. "Eh? Oi, Usopp, what's this on your ankle?"

Usopp gave his captain a confused look. Luffy examined his ankle, and was soon joined by Brook.

"It looks like... a bite mark?" Brook observed. "At least it does to my eyes... though I no longer have any! Yohohoho!"

On Usopp's ankle was a faded scar, not very noticeable unless you were looking at it closely. And sure enough, it was made up of small indentations that all together resembled a bite mark.

"Oh, that," Usopp said. "Yeah, I've had that for awhile. It sounds weird, but I have no idea where I got it."

Zoro walked over to the group, finishing tying a towel around his waist. "How can you get a scar and not know where you got it? I know where I've gotten every scar on my body."

Usopp stood up and glanced at the swordsman's scarred eye, wondering for the umpteenth time where he got that one. "That's very good and all, but I seriously don't know. I first noticed it when we were in Alabasta and I was pouring sand out of my shoe. I nearly had a heart attack because I couldn't think of a single plausible situation where I could have gotten it. Then the revolution happened and I kind of just forgot about it."

Luffy stood up. "Maybe you were bitten by a fish! Sometimes when we fish they fight back! I remember this one time when I was just starting out I ran out of food. Then this huge fish jumped right out of the ocean and tried to eat me, and I was really glad when it did. I beat it up and ate it whole!"

"I am so dumbfounded, words fail me," Sanji deadpanned, also joining the group. "You do realize you could have died at any time without a proper supply of food and water, right?"

"Shishishi!"

Brook remained on the ground, still looking over Usopp's ankle. "I don't think it was a fish. Luffy-san. The marks are too flat. Whoever bit Usopp-san's ankle was definitely human."

"Scar's not all that big, either," Zoro added, glancing down at it. "It was either someone with an unusually small mouth or a little kid."

"I've heard of kids being called ankle biters, but this is just ridiculous," Sanji commented. "We sure Luffy didn't just try to eat Usopp in his sleep like he does with Chopper sometimes?"

"Hey!" Luffy protested. "I only do that when you don't let me have thirds at dinner!"

"I don't let you have thirds because we need to conserve our food when at sea, you numskull!" Sanji cursed.

"Stingy!"

Zoro shook his head, interrupting. "It wasn't Luffy. If that were the case the scar would either be a whole lot bigger or Usopp wouldn't have a foot."

Usopp held up his hands. "Look, does it really matter where I got it? It's not all that noticeable and I forgot I even had it until Luffy brought it up. It'd be nice to know, but I gave up trying to figure it out ages ago. Let's just get back to our baths, okay?"

"Excellent idea, Usopp-san!" Brook said. "Race you to the tubs, Luffy-san!"

"You're on!" the rubberman said with a grin.

Now that the great scar debate was over and done with, Usopp moved away from his friends and settled in one of the pots of water. Once he was relaxed, he slowly lifted his foot out of the water and gave his scar one last look.

_I know I said I didn't care, but there is one thing I'd like to know_, he thought.

Usopp's brow furrowed and he grit his teeth.

_Why is it when I look at this scar, I feel so annoyed?!_

**A/N: One of my reviewers brought up the scar on Usopp's ankle awhile back, so I used that idea for this omake. It will come up again later in the main story, but for now, I hope you enjoyed this!**

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><p><em><strong>4: Chronicles of Lone Wolf Vaughan #2 (of 2)<strong>_

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><p><strong>Time: 1522 AOP, a little more than a week before the War of the Best<br>Location: Grove 12, Sabaody Archipelago**

Vaughan was the wielder of the Chi Chi no Mi- the Blood Blood Fruit. He could control blood in its entirety, and even felt it as it flowed through his veins. Thus he knew it was safe to say he could feel it run cold when he read the headline of the newspaper a News Coo had dropped a while ago.

_WHITEBEARD COMMANDER FIREFIST ACE CAPTURED! SLATED TO BE EXECUTED IN A WEEK'S TIME!_

It was official. The World Government was made up of brain dead ignoramuses with a collective death wish. They had had the gall to publicly announce the execution of an underling of the strongest man in the world. They had basically given Newgate the written equivalent of the bird, daring him to do something about it.

They were declaring war on the Whitebeard Pirates.

Vaughan felt lightheaded. He tossed the newspaper aside, pulled his cloak's hood over his head, and began to walk briskly towards the mangroves, ignoring the other people standing in abject shock at the news. This was really happening, and Vaughan for some reason couldn't accept that.

Attacking Whitebeard... it just wasn't _done_. Not unless you were some idiot pirate with too much ego and not enough common sense, and Vaughan had come across enough of _those_ over the years to know the type. While he was never overly fond of the World Government and the Marines, he knew they weren't stupid even if they acted that way at times. There had to be a reason they were doing this now of all times. It couldn't have just been because they finally captured Firefist and decided to take the opportunity that had presented itself. That was the most sound theory, but it seemed a little much for just one of Whitebeard's commanders.

Vaughan thought back to the year's previous events. Crocodile's betrayal, the destruction of Enies Lobby... were those the reasons? Everyone knew Commodore Smoker wasn't the one who beat the ex-Warlord. No, that had been the handiwork of a rookie pirate. Vaughan hadn't cared at the time, but in recent weeks he'd done his research and learned that the pirate Monkey D. Luffy had had his bounty shoot way up after the incident and had even been spotted in Alabasta. It was hardly a coincidence and it didn't change the fact a pirate did the government's job for them.

Secondly, the destruction of Enies Lobby. Though Vaughan doubted the World Government had given all the correct details, at the end of the day the WG's symbol of justice was still sitting at the bottom of the ocean (and once again, the Straw Hats were involved- those kids really got around). The Navy's credibility and reputation was at an all time low thanks to these events. Vaughan wouldn't dismiss the possibility that this execution was the Navy's last-ditch attempt to assert their power and authority.

... Or he could be reading too much into it and the reasons could be completely different. Honestly, Vaughan had better things to do than psychoanalyze the government.

_Whatever their reasons, things are about to get really crazy,_ the red-eyed man thought. _I'd better lay low for a few days and wait for the situation to blow over. No need for me to get involved_.

Now that he thought about it, that invitation for him to rejoin the Navy with a shiny new promotion to Vice Admiral he got last week was suddenly making a whole lot of sense. The Navy was probably reeling in all their strongest guys in order to take on the Whitebeard Pirates.

Please. It would take a lot more than a stupid promotion to get him back into the fold.

In his pondering, Vaughan had failed to notice he had moved into a more desolate part of Grove 12, and that the sun was beginning to set. He finally did notice and stopped, looking up at the sun.

"Yeesh, it's getting late," he muttered to myself. "I'd better head back to Grove 3 and-"

_**BOOM!**_

The sound of the explosion was followed by the ground beneath Vaughan's feet shaking.

"What the hell?!" the bounty hunter shouted. He looked in the direction it came from.

_This is probably a bad idea_, he thought, running towards the source of the boom.

He made it there and he was sure to conceal himself behind one of the trees' massive roots. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he sure as heck wasn't disappointed.

The explosion had come from Bartholomew Kuma (at the sight of him, Vaughan nearly choked on his own saliva), who was firing lasers at a group of weirdos.

No, wait, not weirdos. He recognized them from their wanted posters. These were the Straw Hat Pirates. At the moment, Kuma's head was smoking and there were arms growing out his neck. Vaughan assumed this to be courtesy of Nico Robin's devil fruit abilities.

"Alright!" a boy with a long nose shouted. "The beam went off in his mouth! He self-destructed!"

Vaughan frowned. Self-destructed? They were talking about Kuma as if he were some kind of robot.

_Hold on,_ Vaughan thought. _Wasn't Vegapunk working on a project to create special cyborgs for combat right around the time I left? That thing must be a Pacifista_!

The Pacifista fell to its knees and out of nowhere a crackling black cloud formed behind it. He could see Cat Burglar Nami swing an odd blue staff and from the cloud burst a large lightning bolt, striking the robot right through the chest. There was an explosion, and the Pacifista was left smoking and sparking. It still did not fall though. It instead stuck out its arms and began to fire more energy beams, prompting the pirates to scatter in order to avoid getting hit. Judging by how it seemed to be doing this randomly, the robot's sensors must have been thrown out of whack from the recent attacks.

Vaughan had to admit, he wanted to see where this was going. Since he wasn't a pirate himself, the Kuma-lookalike wouldn't attack him... he hoped.

From what he could observe, it looked like the Straw Hats were entering their end game. Black Leg's leg was glowing red with heat and Pirate Hunter tied a bandanna around his head and drew his swords. Black Leg ran forward and jumped into the air.

"_Diable Jambe... Flambage Shot_!"

He thrust his leg into the Pacifista's chest, setting it on fire and launching it towards Pirate Hunter. Then, much to Vaughan's shock, the swordsman appeared to grow two extra heads and a multitude of extra arms and swords.

_How is_ that_ a _thing_?!_ Vaughan thought in aggravation and with a bit of envy.

"_Kiki Kyutoryu: Asura_!" Pirate Hunter called out.

The Pacifista turned to look the three-headed pirate and prepared to fire another blast from its palm.

Pirate Hunter swung out his blades and cut into the cyborg. "_Nine Lightning Flashes_!"

The extra limbs and heads faded from the pirate's body, and it was clear damage had been dealt. The robot began to fall backward, blood leaking from its lips. Meanwhile, from above, a boy that could only be Straw Hat Luffy (geez, he even _looked_ like Garp- how did no one else notice this?), inflated his arm to giant proportions while his crew cheered him on from below.

"_Third Gear!_" the rubberman shouted. He reared back his fist. "Gum Gum...!"

The Pacifista looked up at him, a laser charging to fire from its mouth.

Luffy's inflated limb twisted like a corkscrew.

_Do it, Straw Hat!_ Vaughan yelled in his head.

"... _Giant Rifle!_"

The fist came down on the Pacifista, causing a shockwave and dust to fly everywhere. The fist was unwinding, actually drilling the robot into the ground. Vaughan had to wince from just looking at it. When Luffy removed his hand, the Pacifista clearly wasn't getting back up.

Vaughan watched as Straw Hat shrunk down to a comical size and the rest of crew took a breather from the difficult battle. He had to admit, these guys had potential. He had come across a lot of pirate crews, and while he didn't like pirates as a general rule, he wanted to see where these guys were headed way more than he had other crews. He could definitely see them as the people who destroyed Enies Lobby. Still, he hoped they weren't seriously planning on going to the New World after this. That would make Enies Lobby look like a trip to Cherry World by comparison. He contemplated just taking them on now and collecting their bounties, but he decided against it. They had just defeated a Pacifista after all- he figured they had earned a free pass.

The universe, however, didn't appear to agree.

Just when the Straw Hats were about get off scott-free, another Pacifista showed up. This one wasn't alone though. It was escorted by a bulky, ax-wielding man Vaughan recognized as the Captain of the Science Force, Sentomaru. He remembered him from the times his marine ship had to visit Dr. Vegapunk in the past.

The pirates demanded to know who he was, and Sentomaru gave away the information like it was candy despite claiming he had no obligation to reply.

_Still can't keep a secret to save his life, I see,_ Vaughan thought with a sweatdrop. _Some things never change_.

After giving his name, Sentomaru ordered the Pacifista, PX-1, to open fire. The Straw Hats scrambled to escape the burning lasers, and as far as Vaughan could tell, they were going to split up. They probably figured that since they couldn't stay and fight- no, they were much too injured and exhausted to take on another Pacifista- they could escape. PX-1 couldn't chase after all of them. Unfortunately, Vaughan knew what kind of man Sentomaru was. He would hunt them all down, no matter what the cost.

_Damn,_ Vaughan thought. _I was actually kind of hoping to see where they would end up. That's life for you, I guess_.

Vaughan shifted his full attention to Straw Hat and Sentomaru. They appeared to be going one on one, but Straw Hat was getting his butt handed to him. It wasn't surprising- Sentomaru was crazy skilled with Busoshoku Haki, if Vaughan recalled the duels he had with him in the past. If he knew him, he was probably going to-

Vaughan froze. _This... this feeling... no, it couldn't be_...

_**BOOM!**_

"_ARGHHHH!_"

Vaughan moved to another tree root and peered cautiously over it. Pirate Hunter was down, and standing over him was...

_WHAT THE HELL IS _KIZARU_ DOING HERE?!_ the bounty hunter thought in panic, breaking into a cold sweat.

In private conversation, Vaughan could speak of the Admirals casually. If in the same room as them, he could act calm and focused, or even mouth off to them. But when alone and not being judged or appraised, he could freely admit that those guys scared the living crap out of him. He'd never liked working with them, or even being on the same ship as them. They were powerful and merciless, unwavering in their ideas of Justice. The only admiral he'd ever felt remotely comfortable with had been Aokiji, and even then he avoided the man when he could. Never mind Akainu and Kizaru- he'd had nightmares about those two.

There were many reasons why Vaughan had left the Navy, and the Admirals were three of them.

"Oooh, you're a bit too late, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro," Kizaru drawled. "I'd heard you were a reasonably accomplished swordsman... but seeing as you were beaten with one shot, you must be pretty exhausted, huh?"

Vaughan clenched his teeth. _This doesn't make sense! Why would Kizaru come here?! They don't call him out unless one of the Yonko is on a rampage or some idiot Celestial Dragon hit their panic button_- The hunter's red eyes widened. _Shit!_

Kizaru lifted his leg above Roronoa, where it began to glow with a blazing yellow light. "Take a rest, why don't you?"

Roronoa was a dead man, that much was certain to Vaughan. He was a dead man and soon the rest of his crew would follow. He knew that, as pirates, the Straw Hats had all of this coming, but for some reason it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was against killing personally, but he knew that in the world he lived in there were different types of kills. It was one thing to kill a man face-to-face in combat, but to kill someone who couldn't even defend himself...?

"_ZORO!_" the Straw Hat crew cried out.

Vaughan watched as the Straw Hats made their futile attempts to rescue their comrade. Physical attacks passed right through Kizaru's logia body. Trying to roll Roronoa out of the way failed because the admiral moved as fast as light thanks to his Glimmer Glimmer powers. That, coupled with their desperate cries, made the whole ordeal painful to watch. Vaughan knew what was coming, but he wouldn't look away.

_I won't turn my eyes_, he thought, shielding his eyes from the bright light with his forearm. _Those kids got this far; they deserve this much, at least_.

"I won't let you get away," Kizaru said coldly. "It's useless. You'll die now."

Time moved in slow motion. The Straw Hats all rushed towards the admiral. Kizaru lifted his leg even higher. Vaughan couldn't help but think if there was ever a time for divine intervention, now would be perfect-

_**SHOOM!**_

Something blew past Vaughan at an amazing speed. If his Observation Haki weren't so fine tuned, he would have never caught the smirk and gray hair that had filled his vision for all of three seconds.

His jaw dropped. _Dark King_?!

It _was_ him! Dark King went right up to Kizaru and kicked his leg, sending the attack meant for Roronoa flying into one of the mangroves. The resulting explosion shook Grove 12, but Vaughan barely noticed. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He wiped sweat from his brow, muttering, "Cutting it a little close there, huh old man? You just wanted to make an entrance."

The Straw Hats would be fine now. Vaughan adjusted his hood and ran away as fast as he could from Grove 12.

He still didn't like pirates, but he had to admit, there was something about the Straw Hats that just made you want to root for them.

* * *

><p>"What in the name of all that is sacred happened here?!" Vaughan shouted.<p>

After getting a safe distance away from Grove 12 and recollecting his wits, Vaughan had made his way to the only place a situation with the Celestial Dragons could possibly occur- the Human Auction House. It was practically night when he'd gotten there, but what he saw blew him away.

It was a mess, to say the least. The building itself was falling apart and there were injured marines and nobles everywhere. Medics ran to and fro trying to offer their aide, but some of the soldiers were literally in pieces- and complaining about it. Vaughan wasn't even going to question that one.

The bounty hunter caught sight of Disco, the auction house's manager, on his knees and sobbing next to the wrecked building. He didn't like the flamboyant man, but he wanted answers.

"Disco!" he shouted, speed-walking to him.

Disco looked up. "B-Blood King! What are you doing here?"

"Call it idle curiosity. So, what happened? It looked like a giant ran over this place in soccer cleats."

"T-There was one giant, but he didn't do this. You see, we were having a splendid auction. We even had a mermaid! You'll be upset you missed it!"

Vaughan crossed his arms. "You do realize I release all the slaves you sell me, right?"

Disco shrugged. "Hey, what you do with them after purchase is your business. I just sell them." He wilted. "Or at least I _did_..."

Okay, this wasn't getting him anywhere. Disco was too depressed to be of any use. All Vaughan had learned was that there had been an auction and going off all the wanton destruction, it had gone horribly wrong. He was about to find someone else to ask, when he felt a familiar chill.

"Oooh, Vaughan-kun. It's been awhile."

Vaughan slowly turned around, only to come face to face with Admiral Kizaru himself. With him was PX-1... wait, this one had paw pads. When did the real Kuma get here?!

Vaughan swallowed but kept a straight face, removing his hood. "Admiral Kizaru. Kuma. Long time no see."

"Not since you resigned," Kizaru mused. "Tell me, did you enjoy the show back there?"

_He knew I was there?!_ "It was quite an interesting spectacle. I'm almost upset that I didn't catch the end of it. If you don't mind me asking, what happened here exactly?"

"Oooh, you don't know? The Straw Hat Pirates attacked this establishment and took a family of World Nobles hostage. Then a bunch of other troublesome Supernovas got involved and it escalated from there."

Vaughan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That doesn't really sound like the Straw Hats' M.O... the hostage part anyway."

Kizaru shrugged. "They are pirates after all. They can be unpredictable if need be... just look at Kuma here. I wasn't expecting him to send those Straw Hats all flying."

It took a few seconds for his statement to register with Vaughan. "Kuma did _what_?!"

"Sent them flying. They're probably all dead," Kizaru sighed.

Kuma remained silent.

_Way to go, Dark King. You really dropped the ball there,_ Vaughan thought with a scowl.

"Is something wrong, Vaughan-kun?" Kizaru asked.

"It's nothing. It's late and I'm tired," Vaughan lied. He turned to leave. "It was nice seeing you again, but I'll take my leave."

"Wait a moment."

Vaughan bit back a curse and turned back to the taller man. "Yes?"

Kizaru smiled in a way that was in no way reassuring. "If I recall, HQ sent you an invite to return to the Marines. Have you given that any thought?"

Vaughan smirked. "Kizaru, when I left the Navy I spit on your titles and your so-called Absolute Justice. The only reason they want me back so badly is because they're challenging Whitebeard and they don't want to fail miserably."

"Can you blame them? Your Blood Blood abilities are extreeeemely useful." He raised an eyebrow. "You don't approve of the Navy's plans?"

"I think it's a terrible, suicidal idea, but what do I know? I'm just a lowly bounty hunter," Vaughan answered dully. "I don't get involved with the Navy's business."

"Fair Point, Vaughan-kun. Fair point." Kizaru strolled past the younger man, followed by Kuma. "Your loss, I suppose. See you around."

Vaughan watched Kizaru walk off, and it wasn't until he and Kuma were out of sight that he allowed himself to fall to his knees, shaking from pure terror.

_Damn him,_ Vaughan thought, seething. _Damn him straight to hell._

It took almost ten minutes for the shaking to stop, but when it did, Vaughan stood up and put his hood back on. He couldn't bear to spend one more moment in this place. He made a beeline for home, but his thoughts were on everything that had happened that day.

The announcement of the execution. The upcoming war. The Straw Hats' disappearance.

"Bhanu used to say he could feel when change was blowing in," Vaughan muttered to himself. "I think I get what he meant now."

Even when he would look back on this day years later, he would never comprehend just how right he was.

**A/N: A reviewer once noticed that I 'play' with Vaughan more than I do my other OCs, and there's a reason. Out of my OCs, he's my favorite. He's just so much fun!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>5: Siobhan's Long Day<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Time: Morning at Day<br>Location: ****Kāla**

Siobhan awoke to something pecking at her head.

It wasn't _horrible_, but it _was_ rather unpleasant. She wished it would stop, but that would require her opening her eyes and dealing with it herself.

She lasted about thirty seconds before she gave in.

The offender was some tropical bird that had somehow found its way into her house. She groaned and swatted it away. The bird flapped angrily and flew out her window.

"Yeah, you better run," she grumbled. "How'd you like it if you were sleeping and someone pecked at your forehead?!"

Birds always went for her forehead when her bangs weren't covering it. It was annoying, but it was an easy target.

Yawning, Siobhan got off her cot and walked to her indoor fire pit. After lighting a fire, she set a teapot full of water on it and then grabbed a mango out of a bowl on a table. She bit into it as she stepped out onto the her veranda. On her way out, she picked up a knife and carved another tally mark into her wall.

_Day 1205_, she thought in monotony.

It was a beautiful morning. It was mornings like these that made her glad she went through the trouble of building a tree house, even if it did take her a year to complete it. It kept the rain off her head, she slept in it, it was a great place to keep her stuff, and she had the best view on the island.

Siobhan took another bite of mango. "Hmmm... I start the morning with a bird pecking my head. The village elders would have called that an omen. But is it a good or bad one...?"

Meh, she never really believed in omens. She was the master of her own destiny! She ate the last of the mango and chucked the pit over the side of the railing.

"Yosh!" she declared, putting her hands on her hips. "It's a new day and I have loads to do! Let's get started!"

* * *

><p><em>1. Take a bath<em>

Siobhan shivered as the small, cold waterfall poured over head. It must have been winter in another part of the island, or the water would have been warmer.

"T-There has g-got to be a b-better way to w-wash my h-hair," she chattered.

Once she was sure her hair was clean, she darted from the waterfall and dove under the water of the large pond the waterfall fed into. She made faces at any fish she saw, giggling to herself. Those fish could be really surprising if you didn't know they were there...

_"AIEEEEEEEEE!" Spaz shrieked, jumping out from under the waterfall. "Something just swam between my feet!"_

_Straw Hat rolled his eyes and slid farther into the water. "Relax, it was probably just a fish."_

_"Nobody asked you, you flashy moron!" Spaz snapped. "That was way too big to be just a fish!"_

_"Actually, Straw Hat's right. It probably was a fish!" Siobhan called down from the tree branch she sat in. _

_The two boys stiffened, and slowly looked up at her. They hadn't noticed her before now._

_"SIOBHAN!" they hollered, hands going to cover their private parts. _

_Siobhan laughed and jumped down, wading into the water herself. "No need to be shy! I have seven brothers- you literally have nothing that I haven't already seen!"_

_"That tears it- I'm getting out!" Spaz yelled and started to leave the pond._

_"Be careful, Spaz! The part of the pond you're standing in may go up to just your ankles, but some parts can be-" Siobhan called after him. _

_Spaz yelped and disappeared beneath the surface of the water._

_"- deeper," Siobhan finished, slapping her forehead. _

_"Crap! I'll save you, buddy!" Straw Hat took off his hat and put it on Siobhan's head. "Here, watch my hat!"_

_Siobhan laughed uncontrollably, tugging on the hat as Straw Hat dove beneath the water to save Spaz._

Siobhan broke the surface, then moved out of the pond and to the log where she kept her clothes.

"I'm clean enough," she said to herself.

* * *

><p><em>2. Weed my garden<em>

"One, two, three!"

Siobhan tugged as hard as she could, and at long last the stubborn weed came loose. Unfortunately, this caused her to tip backward, fall on her back, and land in her weed pile. Weeds flew everywhere.

Siobhan spit one out of her mouth. "Ugh... this was easier when I had help..."

_"Like this, Siobhan?" Captain-sama said, tugging up a weed._

_Siobhan walked by him carrying a basket of vegetables. "That's right, very good. You know, I _can _do this myself. You're my guest, you shouldn't be working."_

_"Hey, you're cooking for us tonight. The least I can do is give you a hand."_

_Siobhan smiled at him and looked at his weed pile. She frowned. "Captain-sama, why is all my lettuce in the weed pile?"_

_Captain-sama looked at her, then looked away, whistling innocently. _

Siobhan looked at her lettuce, growing neatly in a row. She heaved a sigh.

"I don't really like lettuce either," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck.

* * *

><p><em>3. Meditation<em>

Siobhan did this for an hour. As usual, it cleared her mind and was boring as hell.

* * *

><p><em>4. Go fishing [AMENDMENT: Fishing canceled due to sudden nightfall]<em>

Siobhan grumpily tossed her fishing rod to the floor of her tree house and tossed herself onto her cot.

"This is the third time this week!" she complained, flailing her limbs. "I want fish, dammit! Stupid sky, decide on night or day already!"

_"The moon's out, and it's only noon," Specs said, looking up at the sky. "I've heard of islands where it's day 24/7 or night 24/7, but never night and day irregularly."_

_"You get used it," Siobhan told him. "It's a pain though when it's sunny at night and I'm trying to sleep. And one time it was night for a whole week. I couldn't get anything done!"_

_"How can you tell how many days have passed?" he asked curiously._

_"Easy. A clock washed up here awhile ago, so I just use that," she replied. _

_Specs side-glanced her. "Isn't that cheating? I thought you were a Shaman."_

_"This coming from the pirate?"_

_Specs laughed._

Siobhan lay still in her cot. She placed her forearm over her eyes.

"I think I'll take a nap."

* * *

><p><em>5. Take a nap<em>

She napped for roughly two hours. When she awoke, the sun was back out. She no longer felt like fishing.

* * *

><p><em>6. Sort through the stuff I have that washed ashore<em>

Siobhan picked up a diamond necklace she found in her "unsorted" pile.

"What do I need a diamond necklace for?" she thought aloud. "I suppose I could use it to bribe someone later down the line."

She tossed the necklace into the 'accessories' pile and continued to sort through her items. She had been letting it pile up for weeks now.

An alarm clock? She had five of those, so trash.

Part of a cannon? Trash.

A big white coat with broomy things on the shoulders? Keep, if she could paint over that stupid seagull on the back. She could dye it to look like Captain-sama's.

Various nails and wood? Keep. She could use those to repair her tree house.

A top hat with goggles? Keep. She thought it looked funny.

Siobhan came to a big black cloth. She pulled it free from the pile and saw it wasn't a cloth, but a pirate flag.

But not just any pirate flag...

_"Really?! I can keep this?!" Siobhan gasped, holding the flag up._

_"Sure!" Captain-sama said, ruffling her hair. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't give you something to remember me by!"_

_Siobhan's lip trembled, and she threw her arms around Captain-sama's waist. He was taken aback for a few seconds, but after that he eagerly returned the hug._

_"You will remember me, won't you, Siobhan?" he asked her softly._

_She nodded furiously against his stomach. _

_"Good. Then you get to help keep me alive."_

Siobhan put down her hammer, finishing nailing the flag to the wall of her tree house.

"I can't believe I forgot about this," she said, running her fingers over the jolly roger. "And here I promised him I wouldn't forget."

* * *

><p><em>7. Since I didn't fish, go to the beach and dig for clams<em>

Siobhan dug almost violently in the sand. She was pissed beyond all reason.

"Stupid bird, stupid omen, stupid memories," she ground out through grit teeth. She threw her arms up into the air. "Today sucks!"

She couldn't do a single thing without her subconscious dredging up memories of happier times with Captain-sama and his crew. Even digging for clams brought forth things she'd rather not think about.

_"Wow, look at all these! There are so many!" Siobhan said cheerfully, gazing at the mountain of clams she had dug up._

_"Let's bring them to tonight's feast!" Saatatya suggested._

No.

_"Race you to your village!" he challenged, running past her._

_She grinned. "You're on!"_

No, no, no.

_"Wow, Siobhan... you really want me to have this?" Saatatya asked, gazing at her gift in wonder. "No take backs?"_

_Siobhan smiled sadly. "No take backs. I won't need it where I'm going."_

N. O.

_"I PROMISE, SIOBHAN!" Saatatya screamed as she sailed away. "I PROMISE, I'LL SAVE YOU ONE DAY! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES!"_

"NO!" Siobhan shrieked, yanking her hair in frustration. "I refuse to think of Saatatya and Calypso on top of everything else today! I just wanted today to be a good day! I don't need this! I'm not lonely! I_ refuse_ to be lonely!"

Siobhan's cheeks felt wet, and that was when she realized she was crying. Wiping away her tears, she went back to digging, almost robotically.

She did this for two hours. She didn't find a single clam.

She was about to get up and leave when she abruptly looked up from where she was digging on the beach. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she looked out towards the Fog, which always hung around the furthest border of the island's waters. She could hear multiple voices within its expanses.

"Visitors are coming," Siobhan whispered.

So, Kāla had revealed itself yet again, and just a week (possibly; even with a clock time was hard to gauge on Kāla) after Captain-sama had taken his leave. This was the quickest it had ever happened. She usually went months between visitors.

This time was different, however. She could feel it in her bones. This was only beginning of a much larger event.

Siobhan stood up, dusted off her clothes, and grinned.

"Yosh. Let's get started!"

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 20: Camp Assault Part 2- ****Game, Start!**_

* * *

><p><em>Runo's annoying, but he's small change compared to some of the people I've had to deal with. It will take someone ten times more irritating than him before I ever lose my composure.<em>

And his name is Monkey D. Luffy!

_Usopp yawned tiredly as he entered the baths, adjusting his towel. One day on this island and he was already exhausted. Nami hadn't been any help._

The movie said Luffy, Zoro, Brook, and Sanji had been in the baths for several days. I figure Usopp had to have gone in at some point.

_Luffy stood up. "Maybe you were bitten by a fish! Sometimes when we fish they fight back! I remember this one time when I was just starting out I ran out of food. Then this huge fish jumped right out of the ocean and tried to eat me, and I was really glad when it did. I beat it up and ate it whole!"_

_"I am so dumbfounded, words fail me," Sanji deadpanned._

Recognize this? It's from the English version of the "Report Time" short!

_WHITEBEARD COMMANDER FIREFIST ACE CAPTURED! SLATED TO BE EXECUTED IN A WEEK'S TIME!_

Is this the right headline? If I got it wrong, tell me!


	25. Game, Start!

**Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based fiction. One Piece belongs to Funimation, Toei Animation,** **Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official release. **

**One of my reviewers noted that Runo seemed a little over-powered, and maybe he does, but keep this in mind: he's more experienced than _both_ the Straw Hat crews and he's been in the New World a lot longer. He's bound to win a little before he's finally defeated. And I assure you, he will be introduced to the ground by the least likely of people, and the relationship with said ground will be intimate.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>SBS 12!<strong>

**Chapter Question:**_ "What do you have planned in terms of future One Piece stories? Perhaps a sequel?"_

Hahahahahaha!

Yeah. No.

This isn't the type of story that could have a full-blown multi-chapter sequel. Once this story is over, I do have a one-shot planned called _Straight On Till Morning_, which will detail Kāla receiving new but incredibly familiar visitors. After that, I hope to do a story I have had planned for ages called _No Strings. _This one will include Straw Hats, adventure, mystery, drama, and several new OCs who I hope you'll all like in the quirky spirit of One Piece. The story itself will reference _Tomorrow's Romance Dawn_, but can be read alone since it won't technically be a sequel.

But a lot of that is indefinite. Who knows what will happen in the near future? I'm in college now and my time for writing will be hectic, especially since this story is going on a break. Only time will tell I guess.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 20: Game, Start!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Center of the Bounty Hunter Camp<br>Time: Night**

It was absolutely amazing how one's plans could go so horribly wrong so fast.

Robin, Roronoa, Brook, and Usopp stood silently across from the violet-haired wild man, who was still waiting for a response. They were partially wondering how he managed to sneak up on them, and partially wondering how he had woken up when his tent was on the other side of the camp.

"Sorry guys," Tony whimpered weakly in Roronoa's arms. "He got the drop on me... I never even heard him..."

"I am deceptively light on my feet," Runo said before any of the pirates could respond. "I am also a deceptively light sleeper, and I have Haki that has finally worked around the island's dampening effect. So if you're wondering how I found you so fast, there you go."

Roronoa gently passed Tony over to Usopp, then put a hand on Shusui. Robin crossed her arms, and Brook scooped up one of the fallen guards' swords.

"Ah, you see, I was hoping you would want to fight. I wasn't joking when I asked if you had any ideas." Runo shrugged. "I mean, it _would_ be devastatingly easy to just use Hypno Hypno Trance and make you surrender willingly, but my duel with the cyborg not withstanding, I haven't had a decent fight since we got to this stupid island. Since I refuse to let the old hag, the vampire, and my sister have all the fun, I am open to suggestions if you have them." He grinned slyly, looking like a snake. "Just know that this is my game we're playing, and I don't take kindly to losing."

"Talkative bastard, aren't you," Roronoa commented.

"Hold that thought."

Runo closed his visible eye and raised one hand to his face, sliding the appendage under his bangs that covered his other eye. With one swift movement he brushed the bangs back, revealing the hidden eye- and once revealed, his eye went from bright green to a solid swirl of rainbow color. After a few seconds, the eye returned to normal and his bangs fell back into place.

_What was that?_ Robin thought.

_Creepy..._ Usopp and Tony thought.

"Sorry about that- had to check something," Runo apologized. "As for you Pirate Hunter, I do like to talk. Erity would say it's because I like the sound of my own voice... and I will neither confirm nor deny that. But I'm getting off track."

Runo lifted his hands to the center of his chest and began circling them around each other. As he did this, a swirl of color emerged from his palms, illuminating the dark night. "It's time for my allotted play time, and my patience is limited."

Robin didn't know what he was doing, but she wasn't about to let whatever it was succeed. "_Tres Fleur_!"

Arms bloomed out of Runo's body and held down his upper arms and head, startling him and making him lose whatever he had been creating.

"_Clutch!_"

Runo's torso was forcibly bent backward, but unlike when Robin did this to other people, there was no resounding cracking noise following it. The hypnotist didn't even cry out from being forced into what would typically be a painful position.

"... I'm sorry, but was that supposed to accomplish something?" Runo said boredly.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Usopp shrieked. Roronoa and Robin shushed him.

"I suppose this is why Franky-san referred to him as a 'jelly-boned freak'," Brook whispered.

"I don't care if he is jelly-boned, we need to take him out before the rest of the camp wakes up, if they haven't already," Roronoa growled in a low tone.

Brook nodded and the two swordsman charged, blades drawn and ready to attack. Robin, Tony, and Usopp hung back for now, though Robin made more arms sprout from Runo in order to keep him in place. Runo simply flexed his muscles and her Flower Flower limbs burst into a shower of petals. Vivi had been right- they could see his lean frame betrayed his immense physical strength. Robin bit back a shout of pain from her bloomed arms' sudden destruction.

"Robin!" Tony cried out.

Now free, Runo ran forward to meet Roronoa and Brook. The two swordsmen moved so that they were on either side of the hypnotist and swung. Runo simply lifted his hands and the swords met with the metal bands around his wrists. The blades were stopped dead in their tracks. Grinning, Runo shoved the pirates back, making them stumble. Roronoa recovered the quickest and immediately went on the offensive, slashing furiously. Runo met each strike with one of his wrist bands. Even attacks from odd angles were met as the hunter showed off his extreme flexibility.

"You thought you had an advantage because I was unarmed, didn't you?" Runo taunted. "Dude, I spar with my sister almost every day. I know how to fight a swordsman."

Having fought Sanji over a million times, he actually didn't think that- not that he thought Runo cared. So Roronoa stabbed at the hunter's face.

"_Hypno Reel_!" Runo called out and set off a large swirl of his colors, causing the younger man to miss by a fraction.

The feral man then dropped to the ground and kicked Roronoa's legs out from under him. As the swordsman fell, Runo rammed his foot into the former's back, sending him flying into the air. Roronoa had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out. This freak kicked almost as hard as the cook- he was lucky his spine hadn't snapped!

_Hmm_, Runo thought._ He should have stopped, not missed. The effect must have been weakened by him being a cyclops. I'll remember that._

"Zoro-san!" Brook shouted, forgetting to use his comrade's new name. He began stabbing rapidly at Runo. "_Polka Remise_!"

Runo maneuvered around the skeleton's jabs. The attack was obviously not as potent as usual, since it wasn't a blade Brook was used to. Runo released a Hypno Reel around his head and moved to palm-thrust the musician in the face, but quickly had to block another aimed stab.

"Huh? Why didn't you-?" Runo began to ask.

"Those colors are lovely, but they are visual hypnosis!" Brook explained. "I have _no_ eyes!"

Runo snarled and let the blade's next stab slide along his left wristband. Smirking, he locked his arm around Brook's. He then pulled him close so that they were nose to nose (not that Brook had a nose).

"If I recall correctly, you're the guy who one-upped my sister, right?" Runo asked with strained politeness. "Sliced her up and knocked her into the ocean?"

"Vivi-san did that second part, actually," Brook admitted nervously.

"Just checking."

Runo bent backward, lifting Brook into the air and flipping him over his head... just as Roronoa was finally coming back down. The two pirates collided and went tumbling on to the ground. When they finally stopped rolling, they were so tangled up in each other they couldn't get up.

"Zoro, Brook!" Tony cried out. He jumped out of Usopp's arms and ran at the bounty hunter. "_Kung Fu Point!_"

"Tony!" Robin called out.

"Take Usopp and find the others!" Tony ordered. "Your powers don't work on him, so I'll help Brook and Zo- Roronoa!"

Robin nodded and grabbed Usopp's wrist, dragging him as she began to run.

Tony lept and prepared to shove his hoof into Runo's throat. Runo grinned and and snapped his fingers, causing a burst of rainbow light. The reindeer's eyes widened, his attention completely ensnared. It didn't last as Runo crescent-kicked him in the jaw. The little doctor crashed into the pole Brook and Usopp had been tied to.

_Dang it!_ Tony thought through the pain. _It's just like earlier! That rainbow haze distracts and keeps me from fighting properly._

"Sorry Fluffy, that was a reflex!" Runo apologized. "You said that form is called Kung Fu Point, right? Let's see it!"

Tony watched as Runo shifted into a strange stance. His knees bent and he put his body at a weird angle. He also raised his hands, one hand higher than the other and keeping his palms level with the ground. Looking at him, the reindeer couldn't help but think of a cobra getting ready to strike. Shaking off the pain from his impact, he rushed him.

"Hi-ya!" Tony yelled, punching and kicking and jumping around the violet-haired hunter. "Ya! Ya! Hi-ya!"

Letting his Haki come into effect, Runo deflected each punch and kick. His arms and legs were like liquid, adjusting smoothly with each movement to just the right position to thwart Tony. It was like trying to hit a writhing serpent.

_Again with the snake comparison_, Chopper thought. _But everything about this guy makes me think of them_!

Runo drew one palm back. "_Dancing Cobra..._"

"_Cloven Cross!_" Tony shouted, putting his hooves together and pushing them forward.

The hunter thrust his palm, still level, at the reindeer. "_... 12 MPH Strike!_"

The tips of his fingers met Tony's hooves. The reindeer cried out as he felt his arms be forcibly pushed backward and he swore he saw cracks form in his hooves. He reverted back into Brain Point as he went barreling into Roronoa and Brook, who had just managed to untangle themselves. Like a bowling ball hitting a set of pins, the two swordsmen were once again knocked to the ground.

"Oh no, Chopper!" Usopp said worriedly, looking back toward the duel.

"Did Runo just say 'Dancing Cobra'?!" Robin asked, coming to a sudden stop.

Usopp looked at her suspiciously. "I think so. Why?"

Robin looked grim. "Dancing Cobra is a rare Alabastan fighting style- but I never heard of someone actually using it! It's meant to mimic the movements of a desert cobra, and is incredibly difficult to master. You need to be ridiculously flexible to wield it to its full potential."

"Considering you tried breaking his back and he didn't even blink, I'm going to say he's plenty flexible!" Usopp snapped.

Robin frowned and began running again. "The style is very dangerous. Taking that into account, I suppose 'Dancing Haze' fits him more than we assumed-"

"_Excuse_ me?!"

Robin and Usopp skidded to a halt. Runo was standing in front of them, hands on his hips and scowling.

"HOW DID HE-?!" Usopp started to scream.

Robin quickly bloomed a hand to cover his mouth. It was a miracle no one else in the camp had awoken, so they needed to maintain covertness.

"Did you just call me 'Dancing Haze', Devil Child?" Runo asked in a dangerous voice.

"Yes...?" she answered slowly.

Runo stomped his foot. "Oooooh, I hate that name so much! It's so lame! I wanted to be called 'Snake Charmer', but by the time I finally thought of it, that godawful epithet had stuck! Just for that I'm punching you in your upper abdomen!"

"That's so specific!" Usopp shouted in horror. (Actually, considering his mouth was still covered, it sounded more like "Tas ho hefifif!")

Robin crossed her arms. "_Dos-_"

"First though, time out!"

Robin actually stopped when Runo held up his hand. He proceeded to lift his bangs again, and his eye lit up with multicolored light. After a few seconds, the light ceased and he let his bangs fall.

_Why did he do that again?_ Robin wondered.

"They've made good progress," Runo said to himself.

"W-Who m-made good-" Usopp stuttered.

"TIME IN!"

As promised, Runo plowed his fist into Robin's upper abdomen before she could react, while at the same time kicking Usopp to the ground. Robin coughed up saliva as she went flying... right into Roronoa and Brook (who was carrying Tony), who had been running over to aide them. They were knocked over... again.

Roronoa jumped to his feet, growling. "This is just humiliating!"

"Robin-san!" Brook said, standing up. "Are you alright?!"

Robin stood up, cradling both her stomach and Tony. "I'm fine- he was holding back. But I'll have some fantastic bruises in the morning."

Tony sniffled, looking at his bleeding hooves. "He cracked my hooves..."

Roronoa stomped past them, drawing Kitetsu. "I don't know what's worse- the fact this idiot has knocked me to the ground three times tonight, or that he's not taking this seriously!"

"He's not?!" Tony gasped.

"He's not," Brook echoed. "While Runo-san appears to be adept at handling multiple opponents at once, he's just playing our actions against each other, for the most part. He's not trying to win."

"Well, give the criminals a prize," Runo interrupted. "You figured me out."

The pirates looked at him and all grit their teeth. Runo was standing smugly across from them, only now he had his foot firmly planted on Usopp's back and a gun pointed at his head.

"Any sudden moves, and I'm taking Sniper King here out of the game, if you catch my drift," Runo threatened. "It's not like there's not another one here on the island we can turn in."

"If anyone feels like saving me, that would be fantastic!" Usopp pleaded, wriggling as he tried to free himself.

The Straw Hats glared at their enemy, daring him to even attempt to kill the sniper. For if he did, stealth be damned. They were killing him.

"Anyway, Devil Child gets a prize for recognizing my fighting style. I was using it against the swordsmen too." Runo raised an eyebrow. "Though I'm kind of curious as to why you all didn't know ahead of time. You have the princess with you, right? My style of martial arts was common knowledge in Alabasta, so she should have told you."

A vein went off in Roronoa's forehead. _Wait... don't tell me she actually..._

_"I should have mentioned it earlier! Sandstorms are another of the desert's dangers!"_

_"I'm so sorry. I should have mentioned this earlier. Warusagi Birds are desert bandits that deceive travelers and steal their belongings."_

_"I'm sorry! I guess I must have forgotten to mention that Sandora Dragons always hunt in pairs!"_

"... _DAMMIT, _VIVI!" Roronoa yelled. "CAN'T YOU REMEMBER TO TELL US _ANYTHING_?!"

Tony, Brook, and even Usopp shushed him. Robin just shook her head. She had heard from her time's Nami that Vivi occasionally forgot to warn her friends of impending dangers, but she never thought it would happen at such a critical time.

"I have no idea what you mean, but whatever. Where was I?" Runo sucked on his cheek, then smiled. "Oh, right. Prizes. Soul King and Pirate Hunter get one for noticing I wasn't trying to win. Despite popular belief, I'm not stupid. I know that if I took this seriously, I wouldn't be able to defeat all four of you... in an actual fight, anyway."

"Hey, what about me?" Usopp protested. "Don't ignore the Great-!"

Runo stomped on his back, making him shut up.

"But like the younger Pirate Hunter told my sister earlier, I really don't_ have_ to beat you to win this game. If I wanted to win, I would have just hypnotized you from the start," Runo went on as if Usopp never interrupted. "I just have to 'play your actions off each other'- _toy_ with you, so to speak- and have fun testing your abilities."

"You're stalling us," Robin observed coldly. "Why? Are you waiting for your comrades to awaken?"

"No, I was putting that off. Yari would get on my case for not using my powers more against you. She doesn't realize that hypnosis isn't really good for hand-to-hand combat aside from making your opponent hesitate or miss."

"Then why _bother_?" Usopp grunted in pain.

Runo shrugged. "Like I said, just hypnotizing you into submission would be too easy and I wanted a fight."

"Then why _stall_?" Robin asked. "Does it have to do with what you keep doing with your eye?"

"I was wondering about that as well," Brook admitted.

"You heard them," Roronoa said harshly. "Be Mr. Talkative and tell us."

Tony nodded in agreement.

Runo chuckled and tucked his bangs behind his ear. His eye was lit up again. "Fine. You see, I'm mentally connected with whomever I hypnotize. Some time ago, I discovered that by combining my Kenbunshoku Haki with my Hypno Hypno abilities, I could see what one of my toys was seeing. I can only do it when I'm concentrating, though. That's why I kept pausing our fight."

"You can see what Sanji, Nami, and Franky see?" Tony asked incredulously.

"No, I can only do one at a time. I'm looking through Black Leg's eye at the moment. You wanted to know why I'm stalling, right?"

Their silence was answer enough.

"Let me answer with the introduction of another game." Runo tapped his foot on Usopp's back and formed a circle around his glowing eye with his fingers. "I spied with my little eye... a group of fools who thought they could hide. Naturally, I sent my toys to go seek. Now, any ideas as to what I spied?"

Robin's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no!"

"What? Who is he talking about?!" Roronoa barked at her.

"Luffy and the others!" the archaeologist shouted. "He sent our hypnotized crewmates after them!"

"WHAT?!" Brook, Tony, and Usopp squealed.

Roronoa broke into a sweat. They had played right into that jelly-boned freak's hands!

Runo smirked. "Good answer."

With that, the hypnotist plugged one ear, pointed his gun up towards the sky, and fired.

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Ridge above the Bounty Hunter Camp<br>Time: Several minutes earlier...**

Luffy placed his hands on his hips, grinning. "Ready?"

"Do it, do it!" Chopper and Lysopp chanted.

"Quaw quaw, quaw quaw!" Carue chanted along with them.

Luffy nodded. He crossed his arms, closed one eye, and scowled.

"Stop being so predicable and _maybe_ I'll let you," the rubberman said gruffly.

Chopper, Carue, and Lysopp burst out laughing, rolling around on the ground and holding their stomachs.

"Oh my gosh, that was perfect!" Lysopp gasped out.

"You sounded just like Roronoa!" Chopper added. "Do another one, do another one!"

Carue nodded in agreement. "Quaw!"

"Okay then. Robin impression!" Luffy took on a placid expression with an eerily calm smile. Even his eyes seemed to look like the archaeologist's. "A statue this size would undoubtedly sink your ship and drown you all."

This new impersonation sent Luffy's audience into a round of hysterical giggles. Meanwhile, Nami and Vivi watched them with varying emotions.

Nami crossed her arms. "Ugh, why do they have to act like little kids? We're in the middle of a rescue mission here."

"Leave them be," Vivi sighed, patting her shoulder. "They're just trying to lighten the mood."

"Now is not the time to lighten the mood, it's the time to remain vigilant! Who knows when a bounty hunter will wake up and find us!"

Vivi smiled weakly and pointed to the side. "Normally I would agree with you, but I think a certain someone is being plenty vigilant for the whole group."

She was referring to Sanji, who was kneeling next to the ridge with Lysopp's telescope held to his eye. He hadn't moved from that spot since Roronoa's group left almost half an hour ago.

"How is everything going down there, Sanji?" Nami asked.

"Well, nothing's exploded yet, I can tell you that much," Sanji said, lowering the instrument. "We're too far away and since they put out the campfires it's just too dark to get an accurate picture of the situation."

"Keep trying anyway. I don't want any surprises."

"Of course, Nami-swan! There won't be a surprise attack on my watch!" He turned back to his spyglass, and not even a second later he paled. "Oh crap, I think there's been a surprise attack."

"_What_?!"

Hearing Nami's shriek, the Goofy Trio and Carue quit their silly game and joined the girls next to Sanji.

"What's going on? Did something happen with Zoro-ossan and the others?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. It's difficult to tell from here, but I'm pretty sure one of the lieutenants woke up," Sanji answered, tense.

Lysopp's jaw dropped. "Already?! Which one, which one?"

Sanji adjusted the lens. "I can't get a clear visual... but it looks like the lieutenant has purple hair. Geez, Lysopp, you need to get a better telescope. This thing's a piece of crap."

"Hey! I've had that telescope since I first started this voyage!"

"Focus, boys!" Vivi interjected. "If the lieutenant has purple hair, that narrows it down. It either Yari or Run- _oh, no_!"

"What's wrong, Vivi?" Chopper asked.

"I completely forgot!" the princess despaired. "I should've mentioned this earlier, but Runo is a master of Dancing Cobra fighting style! It's a rare and very lethal Alabastan martial art that almost no one knows! Since he's so naturally flexible, he can utilize it to its full extent! It's especially good for evasion and sudden, powerful attacks! Mr. Roronoa and the others won't know how to prepare for it!"

"Seriously, Vivi?!" Lysopp shouted. "We've _talked _about this! You have _got_ to remember to start telling us crucial information!"

"I know, I'm sorry!"

"Relax, Vivi. It'll be okay," Luffy said confidently. "Zoro-ossan, Chopper-ossan, and Robin can handle one bounty hunter. They also have Brook with them now. Besides, our plan is rescue, not going all out. They just need to grab our nakama then get past Nerve Girl or the Hippo Guy. They can handle it."

"Runo isn't a Hippo, Luffy," Lysopp, Nami, and Chopper said together, waving one hand each.

"We'll talk animals later. Right now, we should move to a different location," Sanji said, giving Lysopp his spyglass back. "There is definitely a fight going on down there, and who knows how long it'll be before everyone wakes up and send lackeys out to find the rest of us."

"They're going to come after us?!" Chopper gasped.

"Only if Robin and Tony let Roronoa, Brook and my younger self get too noisy, which I will admit is likely," Lysopp said. "Or if they let that lieutenant wake everyone else up-"

**_FOOOOO-WHEEEEEEEE!_**

That high-pitched whining was followed by a brief explosion and the sky above the camp suddenly being filled with a bright red light.

"Whoa, where did that star come from?!" Luffy shouted, adjusting his hat so it would shield his eyes.

"That's not a star, it's a signal flare!" Nami shouted, shielding her own eyes. "The bounty hunter must have shot it!"

"Stop jinxing us all the time, Lysopp!" Chopper barked at the sniper, whacking his arm.

Lysopp his abused limb. "_Ow_! What the heck are you talking about?!"

"Boys!" Vivi scolded. "Not now!"

Sanji ignored this series of exchanges, focusing on the flare. There was no doubt it was launched with a purpose, but for some reason he didn't think it was just to wake up the camp. While bright and loud, it didn't seem like enough to do the trick.

_I have a bad feeling about this..._ the chef thought.

And like anyone else who had thought this at one point or another, Sanji was right to have that bad feeling. Vivi had been trying to wrangle everyone together to move- and failing, since Chopper and Lysopp had kickstarted a group argument- when she noticed something strange.

"Uh, guys?" the princess piped up.

"WHAT?!" everyone except for Sanji hollered at her.

She pointed up. "Are bubbles supposed to be black?... And sparky?"

The crew's heads simultaneously snapped upward to see the black, sparky bubbles.

Lysopp paled but reacted almost immediately. He grabbed Chopper and Luffy by the back of the shirts and started running. "RUN, NOW!"

Sanji picked up Nami and Carue threw Vivi onto his saddle, and then proceeded to follow after the sniper. This was done not a moment too soon- as soon as they got off the ledge and started down the path, the bubbles popped and a pillar of lightning crashed down on where they had been only seconds before. Rocks went flying and the shockwave nearly sent the group sprawling. They didn't stop running, but they did look back at the damage. There was nothing left of the ledge save blackened stone.

"What the_ hell_ was that?!" Nami hollered, looking over Sanji's shoulder.

"_You_!" Lysopp replied, letting go of Chopper and Luffy so they could run for themselves.

"WHAT?!"

Before Lysopp could clarify, the group found their path suddenly cut off. So suddenly that they ran right into the obstacle and went tumbling backward.

"Damn!" Sanji yelled, rubbing his face. "What did we hit?"

Vivi and Carue recovered and looked. The former paled. "Oh no. Not again."

The new obstacle in their path was none other than Franky, standing rigidly before them with blank, glassy eyes.

"The fireworks have begun. Now we play," the cyborg said coldly.

Sanji grit his teeth together and put a protective arm around Nami. Lysopp looked distraught, but he pulled out his Black Kabuto to be safe. Vivi gulped and clutched Carue's reins. Chopper entered Heavy Point and took a defensive stance. As for Luffy...

"AWESOME!" the rubberman shrieked in delight. "IT'S A ROBOT! A REAL, LIVE ROBOT!"

"He's a cyborg!" Lysopp snapped. "He's also your currently brainwashed, bloodthirsty shipwright!"

"My shipwright is an awesome robot," Luffy went on. "I can't wait for the future!"

"Are robots really that cool?" Chopper asked, temporarily forgetting about the danger.

"Of course! They're part of a Man's Romance!"

"Wow!"

"DON'T IGNORE THE PART ABOUT HIM BEING BRAINWASHED!" Sanji, Nami, and Lysopp yelled.

Vivi would have shaken her head in exasperation if she weren't so terrified. Even if she weren't, she wouldn't have had the chance to. She and Carue suddenly found themselves being shoved to the side by the moron in question. Luffy raised his arm and the princess saw the skin on his forearm ripple, as if something were hitting it. Approximately one second later, the captain's body was overcome with a blast of electricity.

"_Luffy_!" Vivi cried out.

"QUAW!" Carue added.

The group turned away from the cyborg in time to see Luffy get shocked and discover the attacker was a woman who seemed to appear out of thin air. They would have cried out as well if the electricity hadn't cleared to reveal the rubberman was completely fine. Vivi's would-be assailant tried to stab at Luffy with her staff, but he blocked each strike and then lightly kicked her back. It was then that the crew finally got a good look at her, her cold eyes reflecting the red light of the now dimming flare. The staff's wielder was a young woman with orange hair who was wearing a gothic lolita dress.

Luffy smiled. "Hey, Nami."

Nami, or rather _Future_ Nami, tilted her head to one side blankly. "How did you know I was there?"

"I don't know how you were see-through, but I saw something shimmery behind Vivi and decided not to risk it," Luffy replied vaguely. He grinned. "It's still cool though! I bet our Nami can't wait to learn how to do that!"

The group- save Lysopp, who was paling at an alarming rate- stared at the future navigator in disbelief. It was one thing to see Franky- they didn't really know him save for Vivi. But to see an older version of Nami when their time's was with them...

"_That's_ the future me?!" Nami gasped. She frowned. "What the_ heck_ am I wearing? What, do I suddenly lose my taste in clothes?!"

"It looks very good on you, Nami-swan!" Sanji complimented, ogling the older navigator. "Like a princess!"

"I _am_ a princess, and even I wouldn't wear something like that," Vivi said numbly, trying to ignore the fact she'd nearly been electrocuted. "Maybe Yari got to her?"

"I have a better question- how come Luffy isn't dead?!" Chopper squealed. "He was just electrocuted!"

"He's made of rubber," Lysopp said, switching between aiming his Kabuto at Nami and at Franky. "Rubber doesn't conduct electricity. Trust me, it's going to come in handy."

"Awesome!" Luffy crowed.

"Such noisy playmates," Future Nami said in monotone. She held out her staff. "But playmates nonetheless."

"Master doesn't want us to play here though," Franky added. "He wants us to play with everyone else."

The crew did not like the sound of that. 'Everyone else' probably meant those in the camp below.

"Lysopp, if there's anything you can tell us about their abilities, now would be a good time," Sanji said cautiously. "I have a hunch this is one of those 'fight because we have no other choice' kinds of instances." He glanced down. "Unless we all want to jump off the ledge."

The group all looked over the side of the trail, where the jungle and the camp lay far, far, _far_ below.

"I vote for fighting!" Nami shouted.

"Ditto!" Vivi agreed.

"I third that!" Chopper said quickly.

"Quaw!" Carue declared.

Luffy frowned sourly at this. He had said earlier he didn't want to know what his future nakama could do because they would be avoiding them at all costs. Only now they couldn't avoid them. So what to do? They could jump off the ledge, but then they'd end up in the camp. The camp was where all the bounty hunters resided... including Vampire Guy. But if they stayed here and fought Robot Guy and Nami-ossan, it probably wouldn't end well even with a future crewmate with them.

Ugh, Luffy _hated_ this island. Ever since they'd come here he'd done nothing but _think_! It was exhausting! Narrowing his eyes, the rubberman turned his attention back to his friends.

"Are you all out of your minds?!" Lysopp was hollering. "We can't fight here! We have no room to move whatsoever! We'd all probably fall off anyway!"

"They're hypnotized! Can't you just hit their temples with your slingshot and free them?!" Nami yelled.

"I'm fast, but so are they! In the time it would take me to disable one, the other would obliterate us!"

"Some 'protection' you are!"

Luffy groaned to himself. He guessed there was only one thing left to do.

"Oi, Nami-ossan!" Luffy shouted all of a sudden.

"Who are you calling an_ old man_?!" Nami and Sanji shouted at their captain.

"Yes?" Future Nami answered.

"Don't answer to that!" Nami scolded her older self.

"Nami-ossan, can you get us down the mountain and to Zoro-ossan and the others?" He smiled innocently. "You wanted us to play with them, right?"

His friends all stared at him like he was insane- which he probably was.

"Luffy, what are you doing?!" Chopper said. "We're not supposed to go down to the camp!"

"But if we're there, then we can least get the rest of the future crew's help," Luffy reasoned. "Those of us from the past could even slip out in all the fighting and confusion. I did that once in a restaurant with Ace when we had to dine and dash!"

Having heard about Ace earlier, Nami, Vivi, Sanji, and Chopper were wondering just what kind of influence he had on his younger brother. Then again, they were both pirates so maybe it was to be expected.

"Deal," Future Nami said before there could be any more protests. "Sanji."

There wasn't any time to respond. One second they were standing on the mountain path, the next a black blur came spinning from above and crashed into them. The path shattered and the group went sailing into the air.

Sanji was the first to look down. _Floating_ where there had once been stone was a tall man wearing a suit, smoking a cigarette. He had eyes as glassy as Future Nami and Franky's, but there was no mistaking that face.

_Okay, I might have to apologize to Mosshead,_ Sanji thought as he gazed upon his elder self. _That is really freaky_.

"LUFFY, YOU MORON!" Nami was screaming, clinging on to Lysopp for dear life.

"Sorry! This was our best option!" Luffy apologized.

"Wait, what is Future Nami doing?!" Chopper shouted.

While they were still in the air, Future Nami had broken her staff into three sections and was pointing one up at them. At the end of the section was a clear bubble.

"What is that, more lightning?!" Vivi asked.

"Quaaaaw!" Carue yelled.

Lysopp grit his teeth. He recognized that bubble.

The pirates finally started to come down, and Future Nami spoke.

"Perfect Clima-tact... _Gust Sword_."

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Center of the Bounty Hunter Camp<br>Time: Back when Runo fired the flare gun**

The Straw Hats stared up at the glaring red flare, then shift their focus back to Runo. The bounty hunter looked extremely pleased with himself.

"What?" he asked, spinning the flare gun on his finger. "Do you have any idea how many times I've accidentally shot my men? The others would trust me with a real gun about as far as they could throw me." He paused, grinding his foot into Usopp's back thoughtfully. "Actually, that's a pretty bad analogy. They could all throw me pretty far. At any rate, it doesn't matter. You guys didn't call my bluff and the others get to join the game."

Sure enough, there were now shouts of alarm echoing across the camp. The lackeys were on the move, and the other lieutenants wouldn't be far behind them. They wouldn't be surprised if Carrion himself showed up.

"I don't believe it," Robin muttered in irritation, squeezing Tony a little.

"He played us? _Again_?" Roronoa ground out.

"Like a harp," Runo said with satisfaction. He grinned his snakey grin. "First my little cave ambush, then our fight, and now this. You Straw Hats are making this _way_ too easy for me. I provide bait and you respond. I make a little threat and you respond. No wonder your captain failed so miserably at Marineford, if he's anything like you. So freaking weak and emotional."

Usopp didn't know what Runo was talking about, but by the way his future crewmates now looked unbelievably angered, it was bad. Robin looked like she wanted to snap Runo's neck, Tony looked ferocious, Brook was gripping his sword so hard the sniper could have sworn cracks were appearing in the bone, and Roronoa...

Wait. Where did Roronoa go?

The weight on Usopp's back vanished in an instant. When he looked up, he saw Roronoa making a lightning-fast assault on the feral freak, both looking demonic in the dimming light of the flare. This time though, Runo was the one on the ropes. It looked like it was taking all his willpower to keep up and guard with his wrist bands.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" Runo laughed as he blocked. "A little touchy, are we?"

Usopp got up and ran as fast he could to the others. In his sprint, he managed to catch a glimpse of Roronoa's face. On the outside, it was utterly calm. Tranquil, even. The facade was shattered when you looked into his eyes though.

In that one, dark eye, there burned white hot, unadulterated, unspeakable_ fury_.

"You're fast when you're angry!" Runo was saying. He frown. "Then again..."

The hypnotist ducked and sucker-punched the swordsman in the stomach. "So's my _sister_!"

Roronoa coughed out a worrying amount of saliva and bile and jumped back, sounding as if he were trying to hack up his lungs.

Runo chuckled to himself. "If_ you're_ reacting this badly, maybe I should tell the younger Straw Hat about this. I'm sure he'll love to hear what an utter failure he's going to be." He frowned. "Don't get cocky. Just because you all managed to piss off Big Mom doesn't change the fact you all got wasted at Sabaody and Marineford. No one is going to forget that."

Usopp wanted to so badly to ask what he was talking about, but he was afraid to. He'd never seen Tony, Brook, or Roronoa look so pissed. He'd only met Robin that one time on the Merry, but she'd had been the epitome of unshakable confidence then- seeing her furious made her even more scary. This information probably fell under "The Future" and Luffy didn't want them to know about that.

Usopp decided he didn't want to know either way. He already had enough negative expectations of the future- he didn't need to add on to the list.

Roronoa coughed one more time then grinned. "I'm the cocky one? Look at your arms, dumbass."

Runo gained a puzzled expression, then his eyes widened. His metal wristbands shattered and long cuts appeared on his arms, squirting blood.

"What do you know? He's just like his sister," Brook commented without humor. "So slow on the uptake."

Runo blinked once, then twice, then opened his mouth. "_**SWEET MOTHER SEA-!**_"

_(Note: The series of expletives and insults that spewed from his mouth were so crude and inappropriate that the author does not feel comfortable writing them out. Let's skip to the end._)

"- **_WITH A TRANSVESTITE AND DAMN SEXUALLY REPRESSED SANDORA DRAGON!_**" Runo finished, afterwards biting his lip in pain and hugging his arms to his chest.

"Is he done?" Tony asked, looking up at Robin.

Robin removed the bloom hands she had sprouted to cover the reindeer's ears. "I believe so."

"I think my ears are bleeding... or they would be, if I had ears," Brook said, rubbing the spots on his skull where his ears would have been.

Usopp shuddered. If his innocence had not yet been ruined, it was now.

"So what was that about not having to win? Because you might want to consider changing that plan," Roronoa taunted with a sadistic smile on his face.

"Forget him, Roronoa!" Robin shouted. "We need to get to the others! Lysopp is good, but I don't think he can handle our Sanji, Nami, and Franky alone, and we know he's not going to want the others to fight!"

"Go on ahead," Roronoa told her. "I'll stay here and finish him off, find my younger self, and get Brook and Usopp's weapons."

Robin knew better than to argue with him, so she sighed and nodded. "Okay. Just don't get lost."

Roronoa nodded and charged Runo... only to stop dead in his tracks with a shout. "Gah!"

"Roronoa-san!" Brook shouted.

Every vein in Roronoa's body bulged. Then, slowly and painstakingly, Roronoa stood up straight and sheathed his swords. The swordsman appeared to be fighting the actions he was taking, but couldn't stop himself.

"_Bloody Puppet- Transyl Waltz,_" came a deep voice. "Let's put away those swords, shall we?"

The Straw Hats (the ones not having their blood manipulated) snapped their heads to the side. There stood Enoch Vaughan, moving his fingers like a puppeteer. Erity and Baba Yari stood next to him, both looking tired and not at all pleased. And surrounding them on all sides was the rest of the camp's inhabitants, each armed and ready to murder whoever had disturbed their sleep.

"AAAAH! THE VAMPIRE GUY!" Usopp and Tony screamed, recognizing him from the cavern and from the forest respectively.

"How did all these hunters surround us without us noticing?!" Brook yelled.

It may have had something to do with their only crewmate with them that could use Haki being distracted and affected by the island's Haki-dampening effect, but Robin felt that was obvious so she said nothing.

Vaughan shrugged and released his grip on Roronoa, who fell to his knees gasping.

"I am never going to get you guys to stop calling me that, am I?" he muttered in defeat.

The pirates ran to their crewmate as Runo stumbled to join his teammates. Robin let Tony down from her arms to check on the green-haired man.

"Roronoa! Are you okay? How do you feel?" the doctor asked frantically.

"Like I got used as a human meat puppet. Other than that, I'm good," Roronoa grunted.

Now that that was out of the way, the group turned their focus back to the lieutenants, all taking defensive stances. (Save for Usopp, who hid behind Roronoa.)

"It's the middle of the night, there are pirates in the camp, Runo shot off a signal flare to inconsiderately wake us up, and we arrive to find him bleeding profusely," Erity observed. She side-glanced Yari. "It's just like your last birthday, only there aren't any strippers."

Yari sneered at her before walking over to her brother. "Look at you, Runo. I like a good fight as much as you do, but you really should have stopped this before it even began."

"Shut up," Runo grunted. He held out his arms. "Like Erity said, I'm kinda bleeding profusely here."

Vaughan rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. "_Blood Clot_."

The blood that that left Runo's body now reabsorbed back into the cuts and scabbed over.

"Whoa," Runo said, impressed. "Thanks, man."

"Just don't say I never did anything for you," Vaughan replied. "By the way, we heard your little rant back there. You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Runo scoffed. "Who do you think I inherited it from?"

They were acting so casual in front of them. They were really confident that the Straw Hats weren't a threat. That was actually a little insulting to them.

"Enough of that," Erity interrupted. "What are we going to do with the pirates? Fighting them here isn't a good idea- we might wake up Carrion. Remember what happened last time we did that?"

All the lieutenants shivered.

"The brig was so cold," Yari whispered.

"We'll be fine," Vaughan assured them. "That time it took ten Thrust Up Streams, a Sea King attack, and Runo blowing up our entire stock of gunpowder. A measly free-for-all brawl shouldn't rouse him."

"Whatever," Erity conceded. "Let's get started then."

The Straw Hats got ready. Looked like there was going to be a big battle whether they liked it or not.

"Hold on, not yet!" Runo broke in. "Give it a second."

"...aaaaaa..."

"Do you guys hear something?" Usopp asked anxiously.

"...aaaaaaahh..."

"It sounds like... screaming?" Tony guessed.

"Screams of absolute terror, to be precise," Robin added.

"...aaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHH..."

"From above us?" Brook said, looking up.

"...AAAAAAAA_AAHHHHHHHHHHH_!"

The Straw Hats looked up only to be crushed by something big, round, and rubbery. It made a rather impressive dust cloud, and when it cleared...

"Damn it, Luffy!" Roronoa hollered.

It appeared that, to break everyone's fall, Luffy had initiated Gum Gum Balloon. He quickly deflated, letting Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Vivi, Carue, and Lysopp fall to the group in a heap.

"Shishishi! That was actually pretty fun!" Luffy laughed. "Let's do it again!"

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" Sanji, Nami, and Lysopp all yelled, jumping to their feet and smacking their captain.

Brook helped Vivi to her feet. "Vivi-san, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her tailbone. "Sorry for dropping in. Literally."

Carue pecked her shoulder for making a bad pun.

"The future crew showed up and Future Nami blew us off the mountain!" Chopper explained to their comrades.

"Thanks for warning us that I can control _weather_ in the future!" Nami scolded.

The bounty hunters, hearing this, turned to stare at Runo.

"Did you _time_ that?" Vaughan asked, bewildered.

Runo smirked and pointed his thumb at his chest. "'Master Planner,' remember? You may now bury me in shameless praise."

"Not on _your_ life."

Meanwhile, the newly arrived Straw Hats were still beating on Luffy.

"You idiot!" Lysopp was saying. "We should have escaped, not let them drive us into the belly of the beast! And here I thought you'd finally gotten more cautious!"

"Escape _where_?!" Luffy argued. "We were stuck on the mountain and surrounded! You said so yourself, there was no way we could have beaten those guys on our own!"

Lysopp snapped his mouth shut. "... Okay, you've made a fairly good point."

"Statistically, it had to happen some time," Sanji sighed.

"You're telling me," Lysopp sighed. He felt a poke on his shoulder and turned. It was his younger self.

"E-Excuse me. A-Are you m-my older self?" Usopp stuttered.

Lysopp nodded dumbly. The two snipers stared at each other for several long seconds before freaking out and pointing at each other.

"I'M SO _MANLY_!

"I'M SO _WIMPY_!"

"AM I REALLY GOING TO BE THAT AWESOME?!"

"WAS I REALLY THIS PATHETIC?!"

"KI-YAAAAAH!

"KI-YAAAAAAH!"

"KI-YAAAAAH!

"KI-YAAAAAAH!"

Both pirates and bounty hunters watched the exchange with either amusement or exasperation.

"Huh. He _did_ wig out," Tony said. "Now what?"

"I assume we're going to have a big grandiose battle," Vaughan answered. He smiled amicably at Luffy. "Hey, Straw Hat. How are the wounds treating you?"

Luffy snarled at the red-eyed man. Roronoa placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you. I'll handle him," Roronoa whispered in his ear.

Luffy scowled but nodded. "Zoro-ossan is going to kick your ass, Vampire Guy!"

"If you say so," Vaughan shrugged.

"Then it's settled? Good," Runo said. He raised his fist to the bounty hunters. "Okay! Other than trying not not to wake up the boss...

The bounty hunters all closed in, forcing the Straw Hats to go back-to-back. To make matters worse, Future Sanji, Future Nami, and Franky seemed to appear out of nowhere and join the hunters' ranks. The Straw Hats all snarled at the sight of their hypnotized nakama, but there was nothing they could do at that moment. The pirates that had weapons raised them, those that didn't either took a stance or prayed that they would come out of it alive.

How could it all go so horribly wrong?

"... LET'S GO WILD!"

* * *

><p><strong>Location: Siobhan's Tent<br>**

Siobhan opened an eye, hearing the roar of battle start up. It appeared that the rest of the Straw Hat crew had come to save their friends. What a gutsy move.

... They were just like Captain-sama's crew.

"Very well then," she said, leaning back in her cage and putting her arms behind her head. "Game, start."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong>

_**Chapter 21: Camp Assault Part 3- Big Brawl Free-For-All**_

**What's to Come (not necessarily all in the next chapter):**

_"Whoever said I was trying to kill you? Maybe I was just trying to piss off Straw Hat."_

_"My future self did this to you, right?"_

_"ROKUOGAN!"_

"_GIVE ME BACK MY FRIENDS!_"

_"If you all have a_ very good_ reason for waking me, now would be the time to tell me it."_

_"Let me rephrase that. I'm getting you out of here, and you will lead me to the _Leviathan_... Princess Piranha Toel Ul Siobhan-mi._

**... I'm so evil. See ya later!**

* * *

><p><em>"Fine. You see, I'm mentally connected with whoever I entrance. So some time ago, I discovered that by combining my Kenbunshoku Haki with my Hypno Hypno abilities, I could see what one of my toys was seeing. I can only do it when I'm concentrating, though. That's why I kept pausing our fight."<em>

If you recall in chapter 18, "Finding the Rainbow Connection," Runo mentions this ability and says he found Sunny with it.

_"Stop jinxing us all the time, Lysopp!" Chopper barked at the sniper._

Chopper is referring to when Usopp supposedly jinxed the group by saying the island would blow up. Of course, Lysopp wasn't there for that, so he has no idea what Chopper means.

_I have a bad feeling about this... _

Who has two thumbs and saw _The Force Awakens_ and loved it? This girl!

_But if they stayed here and fought Robot Guy and Nami-ossan..._

My sister insisted you'd all think I was stupid or something if I let Luffy called Future Nami _ossan_, like maybe I didn't know what the suffix for an old lady in Japanese was. Here is my retort: I _do_ know the suffix for it. It's _obasan_. I chose not to use it because the Luffy is the type of guy to use_ ossan_ for just about anyone.

_"Do you have any idea how many times I've accidentally shot my men? The others would trust me with a real gun about as far as they could throw me."_

Runo isn't kidding. If you go back to chapter 8, "Curiouser, Curiouser, and Curiouser Still", Runo did accidentally shoot one of the lackeys.

_"Don't get cocky. Just because you all managed to piss off Big Mom doesn't change the fact you failed so miserably at Sabaody and Marineford."_

How does Runo know about Big Mom? Let's just say he and Yari have excellent underworld connections and leave it at that.

_That time it took ten Thrust Up Streams..._

Thrust Up Streams are like miniature versions of the Knock Up Stream, introduced the filler Z's Ambition Arc.


End file.
